This bill changes how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) manages money and budget work. It makes the Assistant Secretary for Management the VA Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The CFO will advise the Secretary, make and run the VA budget, control and report on VA finances, follow certain federal finance laws, and give budget information to Congress. The CFO will lead a new Office of Management.
The bill creates two Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Management: one for Financial Strategy and Budget, and one for Financial Operations and Internal Controls. The Financial Operations deputy must be a career Senior Executive Service appointee. The bill raises the total number of Deputy Assistant Secretaries from 19 to 21.
The bill creates a Legislative and Congressional Budget Information (LCBI) Office inside the Office of Management. The CFO must appoint a head of that office. The LCBI Office’s only job is to give Congress accurate, timely, and certified information about the VA budget and finances. The LCBI Office may have no more than 15 full-time equivalent employees.
The bill also adds rules about VA financial staff. Certain financial officers at VA administrations or regional networks, or staff who do similar work, must report only to the VA CFO and may not do program or operational work. The Secretary may not create positions outside the LCBI Office that perform the same function as the LCBI Office. The Secretary must put these changes in place within 180 days after the law takes effect.
If you follow VA budgets or work with VA financial data in Congress, the bill sets up a named office (the LCBI Office) to give certified financial information to Congress. For VA employees, some financial positions will report directly to the VA CFO and will be restricted from operational duties.
No publicly available information about total costs or budget estimates. The bill does set staffing limits and changes that could affect budgets: the LCBI Office is limited to 15 full-time equivalent employees, and the number of Deputy Assistant Secretaries increases from 19 to 21.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.