#aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #gccg  ,,an ,,act  ,to require the  
,archivist of the ,united ,states to    
submit a plan to ,congress to eliminate 
the records backlog at the ,national    
,personnel ,records ,center1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,access for    
,veterans to ,records ,act of #bjbb4    
#b4 ,plan to eliminate records backlog  
at the ,national ,personnel ,records    
,center  7a7 ,plan required ,not later  
than #fj days after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,archivist  
of the ,united ,states shall submit to  
the appropriate congressional committees
 a comprehensive plan for reducing the  
backlog of requests for records from the
 ,national ,personnel ,records ,center  
and improving the efficiency and        
responsiveness of operations at the     
,national ,personnel ,records ,center1  
that includes1 at a minimum1 the        
following3  7#a7 ,an estimate of the    
number of backlogged record requests for

 veterans4  7#b7 ,target timeframes to  
reduce the backlog4  7#c7 ,a detailed   
plan for using existing funds to improve
 the information technology             
infrastructure1 including secure access 
to appropriate agency ,federal records1 
to prevent future backlogs4  7#d7       
,actions to improve customer service for
 requesters4  7#e7 ,measurable goals    
with respect to the comprehensive plan  
and metrics for tracking progress toward
 such goals4  7#f7 ,strategies to       
prevent future record request backlogs1 
including backlogs caused by an event   
that prevents employees of the ,center  
from reporting to work in person4  7b7  
,updates ,not later than #ij days after 
the date on which the comprehensive plan
 is submitted under subsection 7a71 and 
biannually thereafter until the response
 rate by the ,national ,personnel       
,records ,center reaches #ij percent of 
all requests in #bj days or less1 not   
including any request involving a record
 damaged or lost in the ,national       

,personnel ,records ,center fire of     
#aigc or any request that is subject to 
a fee that has not been paid in a timely
 manner by the requestor 7provided the  
,national ,personnel ,records ,center   
issues an invoice within #bj days after 
the date on which the request is made71 
the ,archivist of the ,united ,states   
shall submit to the appropriate         
congressional committees an update of   
such plan that-- 7#a7 describes progress
 made by the ,national ,personnel       
,records ,center during the preceding   
#ij-;day period with respect to record  
request backlog reduction and efficiency
 and responsiveness improvement2  7#b7  
provides data on progress made toward   
the goals identified in the             
comprehensive plan2 and  7#c7 describes 
any changes made to the comprehensive   
plan4  7c7 ,consultation requirement ,in
 carrying out subsections 7a7 and 7b71  
the ,archivist of the ,united ,states   
shall consult with the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs4  7d7 ,appropriate   

congressional committees defined ,in    
this section1 the term appropriate      
congressional committees means--  7#a7  
the ,committee on ,oversight and ,reform
 and the ,committee on ,veterans'       
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives2 and  7#b7 the         
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs and the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate4  #c4 ,additional funding to   
address records backlog  7a7            
,authorization of appropriations ,in    
addition to amounts otherwise available1
 there is authorized to be appropriated 
to the ,national ,archives and ,records 
,administration1 #fj1jjj1jjj to address 
backlogs in responding to requests from 
veterans for military personnel records1
 improve cybersecurity1 improve digital 
preservation and access to archival     
,federal records1 and address backlogs  
in requests made under section #eeb of  
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code         
7commonly referred to as the ,freedom of

 ,information ,act74 ,such amounts may  
also be used for the ,federal ,records  
,center ,program4  7b7 ,requirement to  
maintain in-person staffing levels ,not 
later than #cj days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,archivist of the ,united ,states shall 
ensure that the ,national ,personnel    
,records ,center maintains staffing     
levels and telework arrangements that   
enable the maximum processing of records
 requests possible in order to achieve  
the performance goal of responding to   
#ij percent of all requests in #bj days 
or less1 not including any request      
involving a record damaged or lost in   
the ,national ,personnel ,records       
,center fire of #aigc or any request    
that is subject to a fee that has not   
been paid in a timely manner by the     
requestor 7provided the ,national       
,personnel ,records ,center issues an   
invoice within #bj days after the date  
on which the request is made74  7c7     
,inspector ,general reporting ,the      

,inspector ,general for the ,national   
,archives and ,records ,administration  
shall1 for two years following the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 include  
in every semiannual report submitted to 
,congress pursuant to the ,inspector    
,general ,act of #aigh1 a detailed      
summary of-- 7#a7 efforts taken by the  
,national ,archives and ,records        
,administration to address the backlog  
of records requests at the ,national    
,personnel ,records ,center2 and  7#b7  
any recommendations for action proposed 
by the ,inspector ,general related to   
reducing the backlog of records requests
 at the ,national ,personnel ,records   
,center and the status of compliance    
with those recommendations by the       
,national ,archives and ,records        
,administration4  ,passed the ,house of 
,representatives ,july #ad1             
#bjbb4;,clerk4