,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gfhc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #be1       
#bjbf,mr4 ,bergman introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to clarify and expand the
 authority of the ,assistant ,secretary 
for ,management of the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,va ,fiscal        
,management ,modernization ,act4  #b4   
,clarification and expansion of         
authority of the ,assistant ,secretary  
for ,management of the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general     
,section #cji of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended to read as    
follows 7and the table of sections at   
the beginning of chapter #c of such     
title is amended accordingly73  #cji4   
,chief ,financial ,officer2 ,office of  
,management  7a7 ,designation ,the      

,secretary shall designate the          
,assistant ,secretary for ,management1  
whose functions include budgetary and   
financial functions1 as the ,chief      
,financial ,officer of the ,department4 
7b7 ,duties ,the duties of the ,chief   
,financial ,officer include the         
following3  7#a7 ,to advise the         
,secretary on financial management of   
the ,department4  7#b7 ,to formulate1   
justify1 and execute the budget of the  
,department4  7#c7 ,to control1 account 
for1 audit1 and report on the finances  
of the ,department4  7#d7 ,to exercise  
the authority and carry out the         
functions specified in section #ijb of  
title #ca4  7#e7 ,to ensure compliance  
with sections #acda1 #acdb1 #acdi1      
#acej1 and #aeaa through #aeai of title 
#ca 7commonly referred to as the        
,antideficiency ,act74  7#f7 ,to provide
 to ,congress 7or a congressional       
committee71 upon request1 information   
regarding the budget and finances of the
 ,department4  7#g7 ,to serve as the    

head of the ,office of ,management of   
the ,department4  7c7 ,deputy ,assistant
 ,secretaries  7#a7 ,there is in the    
,department of ,management a ,deputy    
,assistant ,secretary for ,management   
for ,financial ,strategy and ,budget4   
7#b7 ,there is in the ,department of    
,management a ,deputy ,assistant        
,secretary for ,management for          
,financial ,operations and ,internal    
,controls4 ,such ,deputy ,assistant     
,secretary shall be a career appointee  
7as that term is defined in section     
#cacb7;a7 of title #e7 within the       
,senior ,executive ,service of the      
,department4  7d7 ,office of ,management
 ,there is in the ,department an ,office
 of ,management4  7e7 ,legislative and  
,congressional ,budget ,information     
,office  7#a7 ,there is within the      
,office of ,management a ,legislative   
and ,congressional ,budget ,information 
,office 7in this subsection referred to 
as the ,,lcbi ,office74 ,the ,chief     
,financial ,officer shall appoint a head

 of the ,,lcbi ,office who shall report 
exclusively to the ,chief ,financial    
,officer4  7#b7 ,the sole function of   
the ,,lcbi ,office is to provide to     
,congress 7or a congressional           
committee71 accurate1 timely1 and       
certified information regarding the     
finances and budget of the ,department4 
7#c7 ,not more than #ae full-time       
equivalent employees1 including         
supervisors1 may be assigned to the     
,,lcbi ,office4  4  7b7 ,increase to    
number of ,deputy ,assistant            
,secretaries ,section #cjh7;d77#a7 of   
such title is amended by striking #ai   
and inserting #ba4  7c7 ,financial      
employees ,subchapter ,i of chapter #g  
of such title is amended by inserting   
after section #gbh the following new    
section 7and the table of sections at   
the beginning of such chapter is amended
 accordingly73  #gbi4 ,employees with   
certain financial authority3 management2
 limitation on authority to appoint  7a7
 ,management  7#a7 ,an employee         

described in paragraph 7#b7 shall report
 exclusively to the ,chief ,financial   
,officer of the ,department designated  
under section #cji of this title4  7#b7 
,an employee described in this paragraph
 is an employee of the ,department--    
7,a7 whose position is that of chief    
financial officer of an ,administration 
of the ,department or ,veterans         
,integrated ,service ,network2 or  7,b7 
whose duties are substantially similar  
to a position described in subparagraph 
7,a74  7#c7 ,an employee described in   
paragraph 7#b7 may not perform a        
programmatic or operational function in 
the ,department4  7b7  ,limitation on   
authority ,to appoint  ,the ,secretary  
may not establish a employee position-- 
7#a7 that performs a function           
substantially similar to the function of
 the ,legislative and ,congressional    
,budget ,information ,office of the     
,department established under section   
#cji7;d7 of this title2 and  7#b7 that  
is not within the ,legislative and      

,congressional ,budget ,information     
,office4  4  7d7 ,implementation ,the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
carry out the amendments made by this   
section not later than #ahj days after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act4