Improving Veterans’ Experience Act of 2024

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9806 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9806

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of 
              Veterans Experience, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2024

 Ms. Budzinski (for herself and Ms. Brownley) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of 
              Veterans Experience, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Veterans' Experience Act 
of 2024''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF VETERANS EXPERIENCE.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 325. Office of Veterans Experience
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department, 
within the Office of the Secretary, an office to be known as the 
`Office of Veterans Experience' (hereinafter referred to as the 
`Office' in this section).
    ``(b) Head of Office.--(1) The head of the Office shall be the 
Chief Veterans Experience Officer.
    ``(2) The Chief Veterans Experience Officer shall--
            ``(A) be appointed by the Secretary from among individuals 
        the Secretary considers qualified to perform the duties of the 
        position; and
            ``(B) report directly to the Secretary.
    ``(c) Functions.--The functions of the Office are the following:
            ``(1) To carry out initiatives of the Department regarding 
        the experience of veterans in accessing and using benefits 
        furnished by the Secretary, including establishing guidance 
        (including strategies, frameworks, and policies) for the 
        Department regarding such benefits.
            ``(2) To collect and analyze data to identify reasons why 
        veterans do not use such benefits for which they are eligible.
            ``(3) To report to Congress regarding data and reasons 
        described in paragraph (2), disaggregated by--
                    ``(A) type of such benefit; and
                    ``(B) such reasons (including ignorance of such 
                benefits, barriers to receiving such benefits, or 
                comparable benefits furnished by another entity).
            ``(4) To engage with veterans described in paragraph (2).
            ``(5) To collect information (including metrics and action 
        plans) from other components of the Department to improve such 
        experience of veterans.
            ``(6) To report to Congress regarding the demographic data 
        of veterans, disaggregated by categories including age, gender 
        identity, race, ethnicity, Tribal affiliation, and sexual 
        orientation.
            ``(7) To carry out such other functions relating to such 
        experience of veterans that the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    ``(d) Staff and Resources.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
Office has such staff, resources, and access to information as may be 
necessary to carry out the functions of the Office.
    ``(e) Privacy.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
authorize the Chief Veterans Experience Officer to disclose any record 
in contravention of section 552a of title 5 (commonly referred to as 
the Privacy Act of 1974).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``325. Office of Veterans Experience.''.

SEC. 3. GAO REVIEW OF 1-800-MYVA411 HOTLINE.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report containing the analysis of the Comptroller 
General regarding the efficacy of the 1-800-MyVA411 hotline.
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