,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bafc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bb1     
#bjba,ms4 ,hassan 7for herself and ,mr4 
,tillis7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs to establish a plan  
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 #bjba4  #b4 
,plan for reduction of backlog of ,,foia
 requests  7a7 ,plan ,the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs shall establish and  
carry out a plan for the ,secretary to  
meet1 by not later than five years after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act1
 the requirements of section #eeb of    
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 with   
respect to providing documents and      

information under such section within   
the timeframes required by such section4
 ,the plan shall include the following3 
7#a7 ,improving and acquiring           
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 the plan4  7#b7 
,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 such section #eeb to search and   
review documents rather than other      
employees of the ,department4  7#c7 ,a  
schedule for carrying out the plan1     
including key milestones and metrics4   
7b7 ,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  7c7   
,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 ,the  
plan established under subsection 7a74  
7,b7 ,an analysis of the root causes of 
the backlog of ,,foia requests4  7,c7   
,recommendations with respect to any    
additional resources or legislative     
action the ,secretary determines        
necessary for such implementation4  7#b7
 ,annual reports ,during the five-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-- 7,a7 carrying out the plan 
under subsection 7a71 including any     
updates or changes made to the plan2 and
  7,b7 the compliance by the ,department
 as described in subsection 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  7d7  
,backlog of ,,foia requests defined ,in 
this section1 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 ,report1 
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