,i #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cafi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #aj1 #bjag,mr4 ,poliquin 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,bergman1 and ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,appropriations1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to improve the hiring1 training1 and efficiency of acquisition personnel and organizations of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,va ,acquisition ,workforce ,improvement and ,streamlining ,act4 #b4 ,improvement to hiring and training of acquisition personnel of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs 7a7 ,training and certification programs 7#a7 ,programs ,not later than ,september #cj of the fiscal year following the fiscal year during which this ,act is enacted1 the ,secretary shall implement covered training curricula and covered certification programs4 7#b7 ,consideration of relevant programs of ,department of ,defense ,in designing and implementing covered training curricula and covered certification programs under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall use as models existing training curricula and certification programs that have been established under chapter #hg of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 as determined relevant by the ,secretary4 7#c7 ,method of training ,the ,secretary may develop the training curricula under paragraph 7#a7 in a manner that provides such training in any combination of-- 7,a7 training provided in person2 7,b7 training provided over an internet website2 or 7,c7 training provided by another department or agency of the ,federal ,government4 7#d7 ,levels of certifications ,the ,secretary may develop the certification programs under paragraph 7#a7 in a manner that uses-- 7,a7 one level of certification2 or 7,b7 more than one level of certification1 as determined appropriate by the ,secretary with respect to the level of certification for different grades of the ,general ,schedule4 7#e7 ,initial goal ,not later than ,september #cj of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year during which this ,act is enacted1 the ,secretary shall ensure that the majority of employees subject to the covered certification programs achieve the certification or the appropriate level of certification pursuant to paragraph 7#d77;,b71 as the case may be4 7#f7 ,subsequent goal ,after carrying out paragraph 7#e71 the ,secretary shall ensure that each employee subject to the covered certification programs achieves the certification or the appropriate level of certification pursuant to paragraph 7#d77;,b71 as the case may be1 as quickly as practicable4 7b7 ,improvements to hiring of entry-,level positions 7#a7 ,priority ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall prioritize the use of acquisition internship programs to hire employees to entry-level positions relating to acquisition in the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4 7#b7 ,goal ,not later than ,september #cj of the fiscal year following the fiscal year during which this ,act is enacted1 the ,secretary shall ensure that the annual number of participants in acquisition internship programs is-- 7,a7 not fewer than twice the number of participants in such programs during fiscal year #bjag2 and 7,b7 not more than four times the number of participants in such program during such fiscal year4 7#c7 ,duration ,the ,secretary shall carry out paragraph 7#b7 until the date on which the ,secretary certifies to the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate that the projected number of graduates of acquisition internship programs is sufficient to satisfy the human capital needs of the ,department with respect to acquisition1 taking into account the rate of attrition and projected retirements of personnel4 7c7 ,transfers 7#a7 ,authority ,in addition to any other transfer authority of the ,secretary1 the ,secretary may transfer or reprogram amounts identified under section #c as cost savings in order to make such amounts available for-- 7,a7 the salaries and travel expenses of participants in acquisition internship programs2 7,b7 covered training programs2 or 7,c7 the design and implementation of covered certification programs4 7#b7 ,authorizations ,a transfer made from one account to another under the authority of paragraph 7#a7 shall be deemed to increase the amount authorized for the account to which the amount is transferred by an amount equal to the amount transferred4 #c4 ,improvement to efficiency of acquisition organizations of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs 7a7 ,plan ,the ,secretary shall develop a plan to reduce duplication and to increase efficiencies with respect to the acquisition functions of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 with an emphasis on procurement and logistics functions1 in a manner that achieves cost savings in an amount necessary to carry out section #b4 ,the ,secretary shall ensure that such plan-- 7#a7 in all respects and to the greatest extent practicable1 seeks to place procurement employees and logistics employees in close geographic proximity to the other employees of the ,department for whom the procurement employees and logistics employees procure supplies or services2 7#b7 does not place any procurement employee in a formal reporting or subordinate-supervisor relationship with an employee of the ,department for whom the procurement employee procures supplies or services2 and 7#c7 may not achieve cost savings through demotions1 furloughs1 or liquidations1 as defined in part #cea of title #e1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations4 7b7 ,matters included ,in developing the plan under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall determine whether to carry out the following activities3 7#a7 ,consolidate or abolish 7and transfer functions to the procurement or logistics activities of individual facilities of the ,veterans ,health ,administration1 the ,network ,contracting ,offices of the ,veterans ,health ,administration1 the ,procurement and ,logistics ,office of the ,veterans ,health ,administration1 or the ,office of ,acquisition1 ,logistics1 and ,construction of the ,department7-- 7,a7 the ,service ,area ,office ,east2 7,b7 the ,service ,area ,office ,central2 7,c7 the ,service ,area ,office ,west2 and 7,d7 the ,program ,contacting ,activity ,central ,office4 7#b7 ,with respect to the functions of the ,procurement and ,logistics ,office of the ,veterans ,health ,administration and the ,office of ,acquisition1 ,logistics1 and ,construction of the ,department1 consolidate one or more of the following functions into one of the respective offices3 7,a7 ,policy making functions4 7,b7 ,contract quality assurance and review functions4 7,c7 ,real property management functions4 7,d7 ,business operations functions4 7,e7 ,health care acquisition4 7,f7 ,logistics functions4 7c7 ,submission ,not later than #ahj days after the fiscal year during which this ,act is enacted1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate the plan developed under subsection 7a74 7d7 ,implementation ,the ,secretary shall commence implementation of the plan developed under subsection 7a7 beginning on the date that is #cj days after submitting the plan under subsection 7c74 #d4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,the term acquisition internship programs means programs administered by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 including the ,warriors to ,workforce ,program and the ,acquisition ,intern ,program1 under which the ,secretary employs-- 7,a7 a veteran1 while the veteran earns an undergraduate degree and completes foundational training courses relating to acquisition2 or 7,b7 an individual who completes progressive training courses relating to acquisition and participates in rotational work assignments relating to acquisition4 7#b7 ,the term covered certification programs means-- 7,a7 with respect to logistics employees1 a program to certify knowledge and skills relating to logistics2 and 7,b7 with respect to employees of the ,department who are members of occupational series relating to construction or facilities management1 or who award or administer contracts for major construction1 minor construction1 or non-recurring maintenance1 including as contract specialists or contracting officers' representatives1 a program to certify knowledge and skills relating to construction or facilities management4 7#c7 ,the term covered training curricula means-- 7,a7 with respect to logistics employees1 a training curriculum relating to logistics2 and 7,b7 with respect to employees specified in paragraph 7#b77;,b71 a training curriculum relating to construction or facilities management4 7#d7 ,the term logistics includes supply chain management4 7#e7 ,the term logistics employee means an employee of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs who is a member of an occupational series relating to logistics1 or who performs logistics functions within the ,office of ,acquisition1 ,logistics1 and ,construction of the ,department or the ,veterans ,health ,administration4 7#f7 ,the term procurement employee means an employee of the ,department who is a member of an occupational series relating to procurement4