H.R. 3459 – VA Staffing and Vacancies Transparency Act of 2017

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 5:28 PM UTC

The VA Staffing and Vacancies Transparency Act of 2017 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to make detailed information about its staffing levels and open positions publicly available. Within 30 days of the law’s enactment, the VA must post monthly data on a website showing how many positions are filled, vacant, hired, and filled, broken down by component or medical facility. The bill also calls for regular oversight and an annual report to Congress on efforts and funding needed to reach full staffing.

Key Provisions

The VA Secretary must create a public website displaying, by department component or medical facility, the number of filled positions, hires and separations from the prior month, vacancies by occupation, and details of job postings that were filled, updated each month.
Positions filled by contractors are excluded from the posted data.
The VA Inspector General must review the website’s administration twice a year and suggest improvements.
The Secretary must submit an annual report to Congress describing steps taken to achieve full staffing and the additional funds required.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

July 27, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 27, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

July 27, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

July 27, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 27, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3459

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 27, 2017

Mr. Brown of Maryland (for himself and Mr. DeFazio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain improvements in the transparency of the personnel vacancies and staffing levels of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the VA Staffing and Vacancies Transparency Act of 2017.

2.

Sense of Congress regarding Department of Veterans Affairs staffing levels

(a)

Findings

Congress makes the following findings:

(1)

The Department of Veterans Affairs needs to fill at least 45,000 positions.

(2)

Prolonged personnel vacancies in the Department result in staffing shortages that cause veterans to receive delayed benefits and services.

(b)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that the Department should make the resolution of staffing shortages a top priority.

3.

Department of Veterans Affairs personnel transparency

(a)

Publication of staffing and vacancies

(1)

Website required

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make publicly available on an internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs the following information, which shall be displayed by departmental component or, in the case of information relating to Veterans Health Administration positions, by medical facility:

(A)

The number of personnel encumbering positions.

(B)

The number of accessions and de-accessions of personnel during the month preceding the date of the publication of the information.

(C)

The number of vacancies, by occupation.

(D)

The number of active job postings that have been filled during the 30-day period ending on the date of publication of the information, including the length of time for which each position was posted prior to being filled.

(2)

Update of information

The Secretary shall update the information on the website required under paragraph (1) on a monthly basis.

(3)

Treatment of contractor positions

Any Department of Veterans Affairs position that is filled through a contractor employee may not be treated as a Department position for purposes of the information required to be published under paragraph (1).

(4)

Inspector General review

On a semi-annual basis, the Inspector General of the Department shall review the administration of the website required under paragraph (1) and make recommendations relating to the improvement of such administration.

(b)

Report to Congress

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress an annual report on the steps the Department is taking to achieve full staffing capacity. Each such report shall include the amount of additional funds necessary to enable the Department to reach full staffing capacity.