#aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #fehi  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
develop and submit to ,congress a plan  
to address the material weakness of the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs ,chief
 ,financial ,officer ,authority and     
,collaboration ,act of #bjbj4  #b4      
,plans for addressing material          
weaknesses and providing sufficient     
authority to ,chief ,financial ,officer 
of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs    
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 and     
annually thereafter for each of the     
three subsequent years1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs1 acting through   
the ,chief ,financial ,officer of the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 shall
 submit to the appropriate congressional
 committees--  7#a7 an action plan1     
including steps1 related timelines1     

costs1 progress1 status of              
implementation1 and any updates for     
fully addressing the material weaknesses
 of the ,department discussed in the    
,management's ,discussion and ,analysis 
section of the financial statements of  
the ,department submitted to ,congress  
under section #ceae of title #ca1       
,united ,states ,code for the year      
preceding the year during which the     
report is submitted2 and  7#b7 a plan   
outlining the steps the ,secretary plans
 to take to address the recommendations 
of auditors related to entity-level     
internal controls and to provide        
sufficient authority to the ,chief      
,financial ,officer of the ,department  
to carry out the requirements of section
 #ijb of title #ca1 ,united ,states     
,code4  #c4 ,chief ,financial ,officer  
attestation ,concurrent with the        
submittal to ,congress of the           
,president's budget request under       
section #aaje of title #ca1 ,united     
,states ,code1 for fiscal year #bjbb and

 each of the next three subsequent      
fiscal years1 the ,chief ,financial     
,officer of the ,department of ,veterans
 affairs shall submit to the appropriate
 congressional committees each of the   
following3 7#a7 ,a certification of the 
responsibility of the ,chief ,financial 
,officer for internal financial controls
 of the ,department4  7#b7 ,an          
attestation that the ,chief ,financial  
,officer has collaborated sufficiently  
with the subordinate chief financial    
officers of the ,department to be       
confident in the financial projections  
included the budget request and         
supporting materials4  #d4 ,chief       
,financial ,officer responsibility for  
subordinate chief financial officers    
7a7 ,in general ,in accordance with the 
responsibilities of the ,chief          
,financial ,officer of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs for the           
recruitment1 selection1 and training of 
personnel to carry out agency financial 
management functions pursuant to section

 #ijb7;a77#e77;,c7 of title #ca1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 the ,chief ,financial   
,officer or the designee of the ,chief  
,financial ,officer within the ,office  
of ,management of the ,department       
shall--  7#a7 participate in the        
interview and selection panels of all   
subordinate chief financial officers2   
and  7#b7 give input into the           
performance plans and performance       
evaluations of all subordinate chief    
financial officers4  7b7 ,termination   
,the requirements under subsection 7a7  
shall terminate on the date that is five
 years after the date of the enactment  
of this ,act4  #e4 ,definitions ,in this
 ,act3  7#a7 ,the term appropriate      
congressional committees means the      
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and the ,house of           
,representatives and the ,committees on 
,appropriations of the ,senate and the  
,house of ,representatives4  7#b7 ,the  
term subordinate chief financial        
officer--  7,a7 includes-- 7i7 the chief

 financial officer of the ,veterans     
,health ,administration1 the chief      
financial officer of the ,office of     
,community ,care within the ,veterans   
,health ,administration1 and all chief  
financial officers of ,veterans         
,integrated ,service ,networks within   
the ,veterans ,health ,administration2  
7ii7 the chief financial officer of the 
,veterans ,benefits ,administration and 
all chief financial officers of         
organizational subdivisions representing
 business lines within the ,veterans    
,benefits ,administration2  7iii7 the   
chief financial officer of the ,national
 ,cemetery ,administration2 and  7iv7   
the chief financial officer of the      
,office of ,information and ,technology2
 and  7,b7 does not include the         
,inspector ,general4  ,passed the ,house
 of ,representatives ,september #bb1    
#bjbj4;,clerk4