H.R. 6589House116th Congress (2019-2021)Passed House

Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 11:59 AM UTC

The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to give its chief financial officer (CFO) more authority and to create detailed plans for fixing financial reporting problems. Within 180 days and each year for the next three years, the VA must send Congress an action plan that addresses identified material weaknesses and outlines how the CFO will be empowered to meet financial‑control requirements. The CFO also must certify internal controls and confirm collaboration with subordinate CFOs when the VA’s budget request is submitted. The bill applies to the VA’s CFO, the CFOs of its major sub‑agencies, and the congressional committees that oversee veterans’ affairs and appropriations.

Key Provisions

Within 180 days of the law’s enactment and annually for three years, the VA Secretary, through the CFO, must submit to Congress an action plan that details steps, timelines, costs, and progress for fixing material weaknesses in the VA’s financial statements.
The same submission must include a plan to give the CFO sufficient authority to carry out financial‑control duties under the federal financial management law.
Each year the CFO must certify responsibility for internal financial controls and attest that they have worked closely with subordinate CFOs when the President’s budget request for the VA is presented, covering FY2022 through FY2025.
The CFO (or a designee) must take part in interviewing, selecting, and evaluating all subordinate CFOs across the VA’s major components, a requirement that ends five years after the law’s enactment.

Legislative Activity

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11 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

September 30, 2020

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 21, 2020

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

April 21, 2020

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

July 30, 2020

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

July 30, 2020

HouseFloor

Mr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

September 22, 2020 • 2:04 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4679-4680)

September 22, 2020 • 2:04 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6589.

September 22, 2020 • 2:04 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

September 22, 2020 • 2:06 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4679-4680)

September 22, 2020 • 2:06 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

September 22, 2020 • 2:06 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

September 23, 2020

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

September 30, 2020

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued September 23, 2020

IIB

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6589

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 23, 2020

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

AN ACT

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and submit to Congress a plan to address the material weakness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Department of Veterans Affairs Chief Financial Officer Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020.

Plans for addressing material weaknesses and providing sufficient authority to Chief Financial Officer of Department of Veterans Affairs

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the three subsequent years, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees—

(1)

an action plan, including steps, related timelines, costs, progress, status of implementation, and any updates for fully addressing the material weaknesses of the Department discussed in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of the financial statements of the Department submitted to Congress under section 3515 of title 31, United States Code for the year preceding the year during which the report is submitted; and

(2)

a plan outlining the steps the Secretary plans to take to address the recommendations of auditors related to entity-level internal controls and to provide sufficient authority to the Chief Financial Officer of the Department to carry out the requirements of section 902 of title 31, United States Code.

Chief Financial Officer attestation

Concurrent with the submittal to Congress of the President’s budget request under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for fiscal year 2022 and each of the next three subsequent fiscal years, the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans affairs shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees each of the following:

(1)

A certification of the responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer for internal financial controls of the Department.

(2)

An attestation that the Chief Financial Officer has collaborated sufficiently with the subordinate chief financial officers of the Department to be confident in the financial projections included the budget request and supporting materials.

Chief Financial Officer responsibility for subordinate chief financial officers

(a)

In general

In accordance with the responsibilities of the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the recruitment, selection, and training of personnel to carry out agency financial management functions pursuant to section 902(a)(5)(C) of title 31, United States Code, the Chief Financial Officer or the designee of the Chief Financial Officer within the Office of Management of the Department shall—

(1)

participate in the interview and selection panels of all subordinate chief financial officers; and

(2)

give input into the performance plans and performance evaluations of all subordinate chief financial officers.

(b)

Termination

The requirements under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

(2)

The term subordinate chief financial officer—

(A)

includes—

(i)

the chief financial officer of the Veterans Health Administration, the chief financial officer of the Office of Community Care within the Veterans Health Administration, and all chief financial officers of Veterans Integrated Service Networks within the Veterans Health Administration;

(ii)

the chief financial officer of the Veterans Benefits Administration and all chief financial officers of organizational subdivisions representing business lines within the Veterans Benefits Administration;

(iii)

the chief financial officer of the National Cemetery Administration; and

(iv)

the chief financial officer of the Office of Information and Technology; and

(B)

does not include the Inspector General.

Passed the House of Representatives September 22, 2020.

Cheryl L. Johnson,

Clerk.