#aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dfac ,,an ,,act ,to direct the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to establish and maintain a website of the ,department that allows the public to obtain electronic copies of certain legislatively requested reports of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,va ,reporting ,transparency ,act4 #b4 ,requiring public access through ,department of ,veterans ,affairs website to legislatively requested reports of the ,department 7a7 ,requirement ,to allow access online 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall establish and maintain a website of the ,department that allows the public to obtain electronic copies of all legislatively requested reports required to be submitted after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 7#b7 ,existing resources ,to the extent possible1 the ,secretary shall carry out paragraph 7#a7 by using existing online resources administered by the ,secretary4 7b7 ,content and function ,the ,secretary shall ensure that the website includes the following3 7#a7 ,with respect to each legislatively requested report1 each of the following3 7,a7 ,a citation to the statute requiring the report4 7,b7 ,an electronic copy of the report1 including any transmittal letter associated with the report1 that is platform independent and available to the public without restrictions1 including restrictions that would impede the reuse of the information in the report4 ,where practicable1 the report shall be in an open format4 7,c7 ,the ability to retrieve a report1 to the extent practicable1 through searches based on each1 and any combination1 of the following3 7i7 ,the title of the report4 7ii7 ,the date of publication4 7iii7 ,any congressional committee or subcommittee receiving the report4 7iv7 ,the ,act of ,congress or conference report that requests the report4 7v7 ,subject tags4 7vi7 ,a unique alphanumeric identifier for the report that is consistent across report editions4 7vii7 ,any serial number1 ,superintendent of ,documents number1 or other identification number for the report4 7viii7 ,key words4 7ix7 ,full text search4 7x7 ,any other information the ,secretary determines appropriate4 7,d7 ,the date on which the report was required to be submitted to the website4 7,e7 ,the date on which the report was submitted to the website4 7,f7 ,to the extent practicable1 a permanent means of accessing the report electronically4 7#b7 ,a means for bulk download of all legislatively requested reports4 7#c7 ,a means for downloading individual reports as the result of a search4 7#d7 ,in tabular form1 a list of all legislatively requested reports that can be searched1 sorted1 and downloaded by-- 7,a7 reports submitted within the required time2 7,b7 reports submitted after the date on which such reports were required to be submitted2 and 7,c7 reports not submitted4 7c7 ,deadline ,the ,secretary shall ensure that information required to be published on the website under this ,act with respect to a legislatively requested report submitted after the period under subsection 7a77#a7 is published not earlier than #cj days after the report is submitted and not later than #de days after the report is submitted4 7d7 ,notice on website of withheld reports ,if1 at the time a requirement or request for a legislatively requested report is made pursuant to an ,act of ,congress or a conference report1 ,congress includes in such ,act or conference report1 as the case may be1 specific language exempting the report from publication on a website under this section1 the ,secretary shall publish on such website the title of the report and notice that ,congress exempted the report from publication4 7e7 ,free access ,the ,secretary may not charge a fee1 require registration1 or impose any other limitation in exchange for access to the website4 #c4 ,relationship to the ,freedom of ,information ,act 7a7 ,in general ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to-- 7#a7 require the disclosure of information1 records1 or reports that are exempt from public disclosure under section #eeb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code2 or 7#b7 impose any affirmative duty on the ,secretary to review legislatively requested reports submitted for publication to the website for the purpose of identifying and redacting such information or records4 7b7 ,redaction of information ,the ,secretary may redact information required to be disclosed under this ,act if the information would be properly withheld from disclosure under section #eeb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 and shall-- 7#a7 redact information required to be disclosed under this ,act if disclosure of such information is prohibited by law2 7#b7 redact only such information properly withheld under this subsection from the submission of information or from any legislatively requested report submitted under this ,act2 7#c7 identify where any such redaction is made in the submission or report2 and 7#d7 identify the exemption under which each such redaction is made4 #d4 ,reports required 7a7 ,recurring reports that the ,secretary recommends discontinuing ,the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report regarding recurring legislatively requested reports that the ,secretary recommends discontinuing not later than-- 7#a7 #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act2 and 7#b7 #b years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 7b7 ,compliance of ,,va website with ,federal statutes1 regulations1 rules1 and guidance ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report regarding the compliance of the website of the ,department with ,federal statutes1 regulations1 rules1 and guidance regarding transparency for and access by the public and ,congress1 including requirements for links and information subject to section #eeb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 and the ,inspector ,general ,act of #aigh 7,public ,law #ie-deb74 #e4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,legislatively requested report ,the term legislatively requested report means a report to be submitted by the ,secretary to either house of ,congress or any committee of ,congress or subcommittee thereof pursuant to-- 7,a7 an ,act of ,congress enacted not more than #h years before the date of the enactment of this ,act2 or 7,b7 a conference report adopted not more than #h years before the date of the enactment of this ,act4 7#b7 ,open format ,the term open format means a file format for storing digital data based on an underlying open standard that-- 7,a7 is not encumbered by any restrictions that would impede reuse2 and 7,b7 is based on an underlying open data standard that is maintained by a standards organization4 7#c7 ,department ,the term ,department means the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4 7#d7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4 ,passed the ,house of ,representatives ,february #be1 #bjbj4;,clerk4