,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aieb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #e1   
#bjag ,mr4 ,tester 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,mc,cain1 ,mr4 ,manchin1 and ,mr4       
,kaine7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to improve oversight and       
accountability of the financial         
processes of the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs ,financial           
,accountability ,act of #bjag4  #b4     
,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of 
,congress that-- 7#a7 the normal budget 
process for the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs should be grounded in sound   
actuarial analysis based on accurate    
demand forecasting2  7#b7 the regular   
budget process for the ,department      
should be the norm2 and  7#c7           
supplemental requests for appropriations

 should be used sparingly and for       
unforeseen demand or natural            
occurrences4  #c4 ,oversight and        
accountability of financial processes of
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7 
,independent review of financial        
processes  7#a7 ,in general ,not later  
than #ij days after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall enter into a
 contract with an independent third     
party--  7,a7 to review and audit the   
financial processes1 including reporting
 structures1 and actuarial and          
estimation models of the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs2  7,b7 to develop    
recommendations for improving such      
structures2 and  7,c7 to complete such  
review and development not later than   
#ahj days after the date on which the   
,secretary and the independent third    
party enter into the contract4  7#b7    
,implementation plan ,not later than #fj
 days after the completion of the review
 and development required by paragraph  

7#a71 the ,secretary shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a plan to implement the
 recommendations developed under        
subparagraph 7,b7 of such paragraph4    
7b7 ,accountability for implementation  
of recommendations from third parties   
,the ,secretary shall appoint one       
individual within the ,office of the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to be  
responsible for monitoring the status   
and progress of implementation of       
recommendations submitted to the        
,secretary by third parties1 including  
recommendations developed under         
subsection 7a77#a77;,b7 and all such    
other recommendations as may be         
submitted to the ,secretary by the      
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states1 the ,special ,counsel1 and the 
,inspector ,general of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs4  7c7 ,plans for  
use of supplemental appropriations      

required ,whenever the ,secretary       
submits to address a budgetary issue    
affecting the ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs to ,congress a request for     
supplemental appropriations or any other
 appropriation when the request is      
submitted outside the standard budget   
process1 the ,secretary shall1 not later
 than #de days before the date on which 
such budgetary issue would start        
affecting a program or service1 submit  
to ,congress a justification for the    
request1 including a plan that details  
how the ,secretary intends to use the   
requested appropriation and how long the
 requested appropriation is expected to 
meet the needs of the ,department and   
certification that the request was made 
using an updated and sound actuarial    
analysis4  7d7 ,annual attestation      
regarding financial projections         
,concurrent with the ,president's annual
 budget request submitted to ,congress  
under section #aaje of title #ca1       
,united ,states ,code1 for fiscal year  

#bjai and each fiscal year thereafter1  
the ,chief ,financial ,officer of the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs shall 
submit to the ,committee on ,veterans'  
,affairs of the ,senate and the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives the         
following3  7#a7 ,a statement of        
assurance that financial projections    
included in such budget or the          
supporting materials submitted along    
with such budget for the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs are sufficient to    
provide benefits and services under laws
 administered by the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7 ,a            
certification of the ,chief ,financial  
,officer's responsibility for internal  
financial controls of the ,department4  
7#c7 ,an attestation that the ,chief    
,financial ,officer has collaborated    
sufficiently with the financial officers
 of the facilities and components of the
 ,department to be confident in such    
financial projections4