Sec. 501. Department of Veterans Affairs program of internal audits
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Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 527 the following new section: The Secretary shall carry out a program of internal audits and self-analysis to improve the furnishing of benefits and health care to veterans and their families. The Secretary shall carry out the program required by paragraph
(1)through an office the Secretary shall establish for purposes of the program within the office of the Secretary that is interdisciplinary and independent of— the other offices within the office of the Secretary; and the covered administrations (or functions of such administrations), staff organizations, and staff offices identified under subsection (b)(1)(A). In carrying out the program required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall— conduct periodic risk assessments of the Department to identify those covered administrations (or functions of such administrations), staff organizations, and staff offices of the Department the audit of which would lead towards the greatest improvement in the furnishing of benefits and health care to veterans and their families; develop plans that are informed by the risk assessments conducted under paragraph
(1)to conduct internal audits of the covered administrations (or functions of such administrations), staff organizations, and staff offices identified under subparagraph (A); and conduct internal audits in accordance with the plans developed pursuant to subparagraph (B). The Secretary shall carry out under the program required by subsection
(a)an audit of not fewer than five covered administrations (or functions of such administrations), staff organizations, or staff offices of the Department each year. In identifying covered administrations (or functions of such administrations), staff organizations, and staff offices of the Department under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall accord priority to the covered administrations and functions of such administrations. For purposes of this subsection, the covered administrations of the Department are the following: The National Cemetery Administration. The Veterans Benefits Administration. The Veterans Health Administration. For purposes this subsection, the covered staff organizations of the Department are the following: The Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction. The Advisory Committee Management Office. The Board of Veterans' Appeals. The Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The Center for Minority Veterans. The Center for Women Veterans. The Office of General Counsel. The Office of Regulation Policy and Management. The Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication. The Office of Interagency Care and Benefits Coordination. The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. The Office of Survivors Assistance. The Veterans' Service Organizations Liaison. For purposes of this subsection, the covered staff offices of the Department are the following: The office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs. The office of the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration. The office of the Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology. The Office of Management. The office of the Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security, and Preparedness. The office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning. The office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. Not later than 90 days after completing an audit under the program required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the audit. Each report submitted under paragraph
(1)with respect to an audit shall include the following: A summary of the audit. The findings of the Secretary with respect to the audit. Such recommendations as the Secretary may have for legislative or administrative action to improve the furnishing of benefits and health care to veterans and their families. In this subsection, the term appropriate committees of Congress includes— the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives. . The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall complete the first risk assessment required by section 527A(b)(1)(A) of such title, as added by subsection (a), by not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 527 the following new item: 527A. Program of internal audits. .