,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hidf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #bj1 #bjbf,mr4  
,turner of ,ohio 7for himself and ,mr4  
,landsman7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to establish within the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs a     
,veterans ,affairs ,history ,office1 and
 for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,veterans
 ,affairs ,heritage ,act of #bjbf4  #b4 
,findings ,congress makes the following 
findings3  7#a7 ,on ,january #ai1 #bjag1
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs       
,robert ,a4 ,mc,donald signed a         
,memorandum of ,agreement that          
established goals for the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs and regional leaders
 of ,dayton1 ,ohio1 to advance a history
 office as a community partnership4     
7#b7 ,a report commissioned by the      
,department determined that1 a central  

,history ,office1 properly staffed and  
resourced1 can become an essential ally 
for the ,department's senior staff at   
,headquarters and in the field44  7#c7  
,the establishment of a ,history ,office
 in the ,department pursuant to an      
executive memorandum of the ,department1
 dated ,april #aj1 #bjbj1 is a vital    
contribution to honoring veterans and   
improving the understanding of how they 
served the ,united ,states4  7#d7       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
,directive #gggg1 titled ,implementation
 of the ,,va ,history ,program1 was     
issued on ,february #i1 #bjba1 and      
established the policies1               
responsibilities1 and management        
directions for the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs ,history ,program4   
7#e7 ,the centennial year of the        
,department is #bjcj and such year is a 
goal for establishing a robust program  
of ongoing history outreach activities  
and permanent public exhibits telling   
the story of the ,department4  #c4      

,establishment of ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs ,history ,office  7a7
 ,in general ,chapter #c of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
section3  #cbe4 ,history ,office  7a7   
,establishment  7#a7 ,in general ,there 
is established within the ,department an
 office comprising a history program and
 a national history center4  7#b7       
,designation ,the office established    
under paragraph 7#a7 shall be known as  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
,history ,office 7in this section       
referred to as the ,office74  7#c7      
,location  7,a7 ,in general ,the ,office
 shall be located in ,dayton1 ,ohio1 at 
a facility of the ,department that the  
,secretary determines appropriate4  7,b7
 ,sunset ,the requirement under         
subparagraph 7,a7 shall terminate on the
 date that is eight years after the date
 of the enactment of this section4  7b7 
,purposes ,the purposes of the ,office  
shall be-- 7#a7 to collect1 preserve1   

and provide access to relevant          
historical records1 artifacts1 and      
cultural resources of the ,department   
7and any predecessor organization72 and 
7#b7 to tell a comprehensive story of   
the ,department 7and any predecessor    
organization7 to veterans1 government   
agencies1 and the public4  7c7 ,office  
composition  7#a7 ,chief ,historian ,the
 head of the ,office shall be the ,chief
 ,historian of the ,department 7in this 
section referred to as the ,chief       
,historian71 who shall report directly  
to the ,secretary4  7#b7 ,administrative
 staff ,the ,office may be comprised of 
such other professional and             
administrative staff as the ,secretary  
determines necessary for the ,office to 
fulfill the responsibilities described  
in subsection 7d71 consistent with the  
purposes specified in subsection 7b74   
7d7 ,responsibilities ,the ,office shall
 be responsible for--  7#a7 carrying    
out-- 7,a7 the activities set forth in  
,,va ,directive #gggg1 relating to      

implementation of a ,department history 
program1 and dated ,february #i1 #bjba1 
or any successor directive2 and  7,b7   
public activities and educational       
opportunities1 including print and      
web-based publications and exhibits1 and
 virtual augmented reality technologies 
that increase awareness of the          
contributions of the ,department in     
supporting veterans2  7#b7 constructing1
 renovating1 repairing1 operating1 and  
maintaining new or existing ,department 
facilities used for--  7,a7             
preservation1 restoration1 and public   
access to ,department historic          
materials1 archives1 and artifacts2     
7,b7 training with respect to the       
preservation of historic materials1     
archives1 and artifacts2 or  7,c7       
education relating to the history of the
 ,department and its predecessor        
organizations2  7#c7 maintaining        
facilities for access to1 and storage   
of1 historic materials1 artifacts1 and  
archives1 compliant with recognized     

specifications for such facilities1     
including--  7,a7 storage facilities2   
7,b7 conference facilities2 and  7,c7   
public exhibit space2 and  7#d7         
conducting education and training on the
 preservation of historical materials1  
archival management1 digitization1      
restoration1 historical research1 and   
related subjects to assist the          
,department4  7e7 ,internal coordination
 group  7#a7 ,establishment  7,a7 ,in   
general ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date of the enactment of this       
section1 the ,secretary shall-- 7i7     
establish an internal coordination group
 7in this subsection the ,group7 to     
assist the ,office in fulfilling the    
responsibilities described in subsection
 7d71 consistent with the purposes      
specified in subsection 7b72 and  7ii7  
issue1 in regulations1 a charter that   
includes requirements for the           
administration and operation of the     
,group4  7,b7 ,responsibilities ,the    
,group shall be responsible for advising

 the ,office on matters relating to     
operations of the ,office1 including    
such matters relating to the provisions 
of continuity and resourcing for the    
development of the history program or   
the national history center described in
 subsection 7a74  7,c7 ,operation ,the  
,group shall operate in accordance      
with-- 7i7 the charter issued pursuant  
to subparagraph 7,a72 and  7ii7 such    
other procedures relating to the        
administration and operation of the     
,group as the ,secretary determines     
appropriate4  7#b7 ,group members ,the  
,group shall be comprised of the        
following3  7,a7 ,the ,deputy ,secretary
 of ,veterans ,affairs4  7,b7 ,the      
,assistant ,secretary for ,management   
and ,chief ,financial ,officer1 or      
designee4  7,c7 ,the ,chief ,historian4 
7,d7 ,a senior employee selected by the 
,secretary from each of the following3  
7i7 ,the ,veterans ,experience ,office4 
7ii7 ,the ,office of ,congressional and 
,legislative ,affairs4  7iii7 ,the      

,office of ,acquisition ,logistics and  
,construction4  7iv7 ,the ,office of the
 ,general ,counsel4  7v7 ,the ,veterans 
,health ,administration4  7vi7 ,the     
,veterans ,benefits ,administration4    
7vii7 ,the ,national ,cemetery          
,administration4  7,e7 ,such other      
officers and employees of the           
,department as the ,secretary considers 
appropriate4  7#c7 ,chair ,the chair of 
the ,group shall be the ,deputy         
,secretary4  7f7 ,transfer of certain   
functions  7#a7 ,veterans ,legacy       
,program2 ,veterans ,legacy ,memorial   
,the functions relating to the          
administration of the ,veterans ,legacy 
,program and the ,veterans ,legacy      
,memorial which1 on the day before the  
date of the enactment of this section1  
were performed by the ,national         
,cemetery ,administration1 are hereby   
transferred to the ,office4 ,any efforts
 with respect to the administration of  
the ,veterans ,legacy ,program and the  
,veterans ,legacy ,memorial beginning on

 or after such date shall be carried out
 by the ,office4  7#b7  ,veterans'      
,history ,project  ,the functions       
relating to the administration of the   
oral history program required under     
section #c of the ,veterans' ,oral      
,history ,project ,act 7,public ,law    
#ajf-chj2 #bj ,u4,s4,c4 #badb7 which1 on
 the day before the date of the         
enactment of this ,act1 were performed  
by the ,director of the ,american       
,folklife ,center at the ,library of    
,congress1 are hereby transferred to the
 ,office4 ,any efforts with respect to  
the administration of the such oral     
history program beginning on or after   
such date shall be carried out by the   
,office4  7#c7  ,rule of construction   
,nothing in this subsection may be      
construed to require functions relating 
to the administration of the ,national  
,archives ,veterans ,oral ,history      
project to be transferred to the        
,office4  7g7 ,gifts and bequests  7#a7 
,authority to accept ,the ,secretary may

 accept1 hold1 administer1 and spend any
 gift1 devise1 or bequest of real       
property1 personal property1 or money   
made on the condition that the gift1    
devise1 or bequest be used for the      
benefit1 or in connection with1 the     
purposes and activities of the ,office1 
including a gift1 devise1 or bequest of 
an improvement made pursuant to         
subsection 7f77#c74  7#b7 ,disposition  
of property ,the ,secretary may         
authorize the sale of donated property  
received under paragraph 7#a74 ,a sale  
under this paragraph need not be        
conducted in accordance with disposal   
requirements that would otherwise apply1
 so long as the sale is conducted at    
arms-length and includes an auditable   
transaction record4  7#c7 ,use of money 
and proceeds ,any money received under  
paragraph 7#a7 and any proceeds from the
 sale of property under paragraph 7#b7  
shall be deposited into a fund          
established in the ,treasury to support 
the purposes and activities of the      

,office4  7h7 ,partnerships1 cooperative
 agreements1 and lease authority  7#a7  
,partnerships ,the ,secretary may enter 
into a partnership or cooperative       
agreement with an organization to       
support the ,office in fulfilling the   
responsibilities under subsection 7d74  
7#b7 ,lease authority  7,a7 ,in general 
,the ,secretary may lease portions of   
any real property or facility of the    
,office to a nonprofit organization for 
use in generating revenue for the       
support of activities of the ,office and
 for such administrative purposes as may
 be necessary for support of the        
,office4  7,b7 ,rent ,any rent received 
by the ,secretary under a lease under   
subparagraph 7,a71 including            
rent-in-kind1 shall be used solely to   
cover or defray the costs of fulfilling 
the responsibilities under subsection   
7d74  7#c7 ,improvements ,the ,secretary
 may permit a nonprofit organization to 
make improvements to real property or a 
facility of the ,office for the         

construction of a multipurpose facility 
to be used for historical displays for  
public viewing1 curation1 and storage of
 artifacts1 research facilities1        
classrooms1 offices1 and associated     
activities consistent with the mission  
of the ,office4  7i7 ,rule of           
construction ,nothing in this section   
may be construed as affecting the       
authority of the ,archivist of the      
,united ,states with respect to the     
management of permanent records of the  
,department4  7j7 ,nonprofit            
organization defined ,in this section1  
the term nonprofit organization means an
 organization described in section      
#eja7;c77#c7 of the ,internal ,revenue  
,code of #aihf and exempt from taxation 
under section #eja7;a7 of that ,code4  4
  7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of 
sections at the beginning of chapter #c 
of such title is amended by adding at   
the end the following new item3  #cbe4  
,history ,office4  4  #d4 ,reports  7a7 
,long range planning ,not later than    

#ahj days after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall submit to   
the ,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs  
of the ,senate and the ,house of        
,representatives a report on proposed   
activities of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs ,history ,office     
established pursuant to section #cbe7;a7
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as
 added by section #c4  7b7 ,contents    
,such report shall include plans for the
 following3  7#a7 ,staffing and budget4 
7#b7 ,organizational charts pertaining  
to the current staff and location of the
 ,history ,office within the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#c7           
,construction and renovation of         
facilities supporting the ,history      
,office1 including the ,national        
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
,history ,center4  7#d7 ,such           
recommendations for legislative or      
administrative action as the ,secretary 
determines appropriate with respect to  

the ,history ,office4  7c7 ,annual      
progress reports ,not later than one    
year after the date on which the        
,secretary submits the report required  
by subsection 7a71 and not less         
frequently than annually thereafter     
until ,december #ca1 #bjcj1 the ,chief  
,historian of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs shall submit to the  
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and the ,house of           
,representatives a report on the        
progress of the ,history ,office4