,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhaf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ab1
 #bjbb,mr4 ,ossoff 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,rounds1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 and ,mr4       
,braun7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,homeland ,security and  
,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
require the ,archivist of the ,united   
,states to submit to ,congress a        
comprehensive plan for reducing the     
backlog of requests for records from 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 to eliminate the backlog of       
requests for records from the ,national 
,personnel ,records ,center and to      
improve the efficiency and              
responsiveness of operations at the     
,national ,personnel ,records ,center1  
that includes1 at a minimum1 the        
following3 7#a7 ,the number and         
percentage of unresolved veteran record 
requests that have been pending for more
 than-- 7,a7 #bj days2  7,b7 #ij days2  
and  7,c7 one year4  7#b7 ,target       
timeframes to eliminate the backlog4    
7#c7 ,a detailed plan for using existing
 funds to improve 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 
semiannually thereafter until the       
,national ,personnel ,records ,center   
resolves #ij percent of all requests for
 separation documents 7other than       
documents subject to fees or involving  
records damaged or lost in the #aigc    
fire7 in #bj days or less1 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 #ahj-;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 ,homeland ,security   
and ,governmental ,affairs and the      
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate2 and  7#b7 the ,committee on   
,oversight and ,reform and the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives4  #c4       
,additional funding ,in addition to     
amounts otherwise available1 there is   
authorized to be appropriated to the    
,national ,archives and ,records        
,administration1 #bj1jjj1jjj to address 
backlogs in responding to requests from 
veterans for military personnel records4
  #d4 ,additional staffing ,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 that  
enable the maximum processing of records
 requests possible in order to achieve  
the performance goal of responding to   
#ij percent of all requests for         
separation documents 7other than        
documents subject to fees or involving  
records damaged or lost in the #aigc    
fire7 serviced in #bj days or less4  #e4
 ,additional 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