,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abdc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bj1    
#bjba,ms4 ,ernst 7for herself and ,ms4  
,hassan7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to improve the equal     
employment opportunity functions of     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,improving ,,va ,accountability ,to     
,prevent ,sexual ,harassment and        
,discrimination ,act of #bjba4  #b4     
,improvements to equal employment       
opportunity functions of ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,alignment of   
,equal ,employment ,opportunity         
,director  7#a7 ,reporting and duties   
,subsection 7h7 of section #eaf of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is         
amended-- 7,a7 by striking ,the         
provisions and inserting 7#a7 ,the      

provisions2 and  7,b7 by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#b7  
,beginning not later than #ij days after
 the date of the enactment of the       
,improving ,,va ,accountability ,to     
,prevent ,sexual ,harassment and        
,discrimination ,act of #bjba1 in       
carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the        
,secretary shall ensure that the        
official of the ,department who serves  
as the ,equal ,employment ,opportunity  
,director of the ,department-- 7,a7     
reports directly to the ,deputy         
,secretary with respect to the functions
 under this section2 and  7,b7 does not 
also serve in a position that has       
responsibility over personnel functions 
of the ,department or other functions   
that conflict with the functions under  
this section4  4  7#b7 ,conforming      
amendments ,such section is further     
amended-- 7,a7 in subsection 7b77#a71 by
 inserting 1 in accordance with         
subsection 7h77#b71 after an ,assistant 
,secretary or a ,deputy ,assistant      

,secretary2 and  7,b7 in subsection     
7e77#a77;,a71 by striking the ,assistant
 ,secretary for ,human ,resources and   
,administration and inserting the       
,secretary4  7b7 ,alignment of ,,eeo    
program managers ,such section is       
further amended by adding at the end the
 following new subsection3  7i7 ,in     
accordance with subsection 7b71 not     
later than ,december #ca1 #bjba1 the    
,secretary shall ensure that each ,equal
 ,employment ,opportunity program       
manager of the ,department at the       
facility level reports to the head of   
the ,office of ,resolution ,management1 
or such successor office established    
pursuant to subsection 7a71 with respect
 to the equal employment functions of   
the program manager4  4  7c7 ,reporting 
harassment and employment discrimination
 complaints ,subsection 7a7 of such     
section is amended-- 7#a7 by striking   
,the ,secretary and inserting 7#a7 ,the 
,secretary2 and  7#b7 by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#b7  

,the ,secretary shall ensure that the   
employment discrimination complaint     
resolution system established under     
paragraph 7#a7 requires that any manager
 of the ,department who receives a      
sexual or other harassment or employment
 discrimination complaint reports such  
complaint to the ,office of ,resolution 
,management1 or successor office1       
immediately1 or if such immediate       
reporting is impracticable1 not later   
than two days after the date on which   
the manager receives the complaint4  4  
7d7 ,training ,subsection 7c7 of such   
section is amended-- 7#a7 by inserting  
7#a7 before ,the ,secretary2 and  7#b7  
by adding at the end the following new  
paragraph3  7#b7 7,a7 ,beginning not    
later than ,september #cj1 #bjba1 the   
,secretary shall provide to each        
employee of the ,department mandatory   
annual training on identifying and      
addressing sexual and other harassment  
and employment discrimination1 including
 with respect to processes under the    

,harassment ,prevention ,program of the 
,department1 or such successor program4 
7,b7 ,an employee of the ,department who
 is hired on or after such date shall   
receive the first such mandatory annual 
training not later than #fj days after  
being hired4  4  7e7 ,harassment and    
employment discrimination policies and  
directives ,the ,secretary of ,veterans 
,affairs shall-- 7#a7 by not later than 
,september #cj1 #bjba1 and on a regular 
basis thereafter1 review the policies   
relating to sexual and other harassment 
and employment discrimination of the    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
ensure that such policies are complete  
and in accordance with the sexual and   
other harassment and employment         
discrimination policies established by  
the ,office of ,resolution ,management  
of the ,department1 or successor office2
 and  7#b7 by not later than #ahj days  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 issue a final directive and a     
handbook for the ,harassment ,prevention

 ,program of the ,department4  7f7      
,semiannual reports ,not later than #ahj
 days after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 and semiannually thereafter 
for one year1 the ,secretary 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 a report on the        
progress the ,secretary has made in     
carrying out this section and section   
#eaf of title #ch1 ,united ,states      
,code1 as amended by this section1      
including with respect to reporting     
sexual and other harassment and         
employment discrimination complaints    
pursuant to subsection 7a77#b7 of such  
section #eaf4