,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gafc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #aa1 #bjbj,mr4 
,cisneros 7for himself and ,mr4 ,rose of
 ,new ,york7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs to reduce the backlog
 of requests for information made to the
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs      
pursuant to section #eeb of title #e1   
,united ,states ,code1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,va ,,foia ,reform 
,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,reduction of       
backlog of certain requests for         
information  7a7 ,reduction of backlogs 
7#a7 ,,foia ,by not later than three    
years after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans 
,affairs shall reduce the backlog of    
,,foia requests by #ge percent4  7#b7   
,office of ,special ,counsel ,by not    
later than three years after the date of

 the enactment of this ,act1 the        
,secretary shall reduce the backlog of  
,special ,counsel requests by #ge       
percent4  7b7 ,proactive disclosures ,on
 an ongoing basis1 the ,secretary shall 
determine the documents1 records1 and   
information of the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs that are the types of
 documents1 records1 and information of 
the ,department that the ,secretary     
determines are frequently requested and 
provided pursuant to section #eeb of    
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4 ,the   
,secretary shall regularly make such    
documents1 records1 and information     
publicly available1 including by        
publishing such documents1 records1 and 
information on the internet website of  
the ,department4  7c7 ,compliance       
assessment ,the ,secretary shall request
 the ,director of the ,office of        
,government ,information ,services of   
the ,national ,archives and ,records    
,administration to conduct an assessment
 of the compliance by the ,department of

 ,veterans ,affairs with section #eeb of
 title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4  7d7  
,reports  7#a7 ,initial report ,not     
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate a report on implementing        
subsections 7a7 and 7b74 ,the report    
shall include the following3 7,a7 ,a    
plan for such implementation4  7,b7 ,an 
analysis of the root causes of the      
backlog of ,,foia requests and the      
backlog of ,special ,counsel requests4  
7,c7 ,a plan to improve and acquire     
technology1 including with respect to   
searching email and other electronic    
information1 and the timelines for such 
improvement1 to ensure that the         
information technology of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs is    
capable of carrying out such plan4  7,d7
 ,identification of efficient           
procedures1 policies1 and systems of the

 ,department that could be developed to 
allow employees of the ,department      
responsible for replying to requests    
under section #eeb of title #e1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to search and review     
documents rather than other employees of
 the ,department4  7,e7 ,identification 
of the documents and information that   
will be made publicly available under   
subsection 7b7 and identification of the
 #aj most frequently requested types of 
documents1 records1 or information4     
7,f7 ,recommendations with respect to   
any additional resources or legislative 
action the ,secretary determines        
necessary for such implementation4  7#b7
 ,annual reports ,during the three-year 
period following the date of the        
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the ,committees on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,senate annual 
reports on implementing subsections 7a7 
and 7b74  7#c7 ,publication ,the        
,secretary shall make publicly available

 on the internet website of the         
,department the reports under paragraphs
 7#a7 and 7#b7 by not later than #cj    
days after the date on which the        
,secretary submits the reports to the   
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate4  7e7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3 7#a7 ,the term backlog of      
,,foia requests means the number of     
requests1 as reported by the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to the ,attorney  
,general in the ,annual ,,foia ,report  
for ,fiscal ,year #bjai1 made by        
individuals to the ,secretary pursuant  
to section #eeb of title #e1 ,united    
,states ,code1 for documents or         
information that the ,secretary has not 
fulfilled or provided a response to the 
individual4  7#b7 ,the term backlog of  
,special ,counsel requests means the    
number of requests1 as determined by the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs by not
 later than #ij days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 made by the 

,special ,counsel to the ,secretary     
pursuant to chapter #ab of part ,,ii of 
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 for    
documents or information that the       
,secretary has not fulfilled or provided
 a response to the ,office of ,special  
,counsel4