H.R. 2429House117th Congress (2021-2023)Passed House

VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 1:22 AM UTC

The VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act aims to make the Department of Veterans Affairs’ police forces more transparent, better staffed, and more accountable. It requires the VA to publish detailed statistics on arrests, tickets, use‑of‑force incidents and complaints, and to provide contact information for the public to request police records. The law also mandates body‑worn cameras, data tracking of police incidents, staffing standards, and a congressional report on implementation.

Key Provisions

VA facilities must post five‑year summaries of arrests, tickets, prosecutions, use‑of‑force incidents, and related complaints, plus contact info for the public to request police records
All VA police officers must wear body‑worn cameras within 180 days, with guidance issued within a year after consulting relevant organizations
The Secretary must track and analyze police incident data (arrests, tickets, use of force, complaints) using department‑wide data systems and report incidents to the Assistant Secretary for review and investigation
A staffing plan must be created setting minimum numbers of police officers and pay grades for each VA facility
Within one year, the Secretary must submit a report to congressional veterans committees covering police turnover, compensation comparisons, staffing plan costs, and body‑worn camera implementation
Definitions for “body‑worn camera” and “Department police officer” are added to clarify the terms used in the Act

Legislative Activity

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13 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

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

Veterans' Affairs Committee

June 16, 2021

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 8, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

April 8, 2021

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

April 20, 2021

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

April 21, 2021

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Discharged.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

May 4, 2021

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

May 4, 2021

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 22 - 6.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

May 4, 2021

HouseFloor

Mr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

June 15, 2021 • 2:32 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2777-2778)

June 15, 2021 • 2:32 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2429.

June 15, 2021 • 2:33 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H2777-2778)

June 15, 2021 • 2:38 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2777-2778)

June 15, 2021 • 2:38 PM

HouseFloor

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

June 15, 2021 • 2:38 PM

SenateIntro Referral

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

Veterans' Affairs Committee

June 16, 2021

Floor Debate

3 members

What members said about H.R. 2429 on the floor

1 Republican2 Democrats

Rep. Mark TakanoD-CA-41 · Jun 15, 2021

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2429) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the staffing, transparency, and accountability of the law enforcement…

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2429) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the staffing, transparency, and accountability of the law enforcement operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 2429.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 2429, the VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act, introduced by former Committee on Veterans' Affairs member Representative Rice from New York.

This bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Representative Radewagen would improve the transparency and accountability of the VA police. Specifically, the legislation would require the VA police to publish online information about arrests and use of force, as well as establish a consistent way for the public to obtain more detailed information about those incidents.

Importantly, this bill would also require VA to have its police use body-worn cameras, publish guidance on the use of such cameras, improve tracking and analysis of arrests and other police actions, and develop a staffing plan that adequately supports every VA facility's needs. Together, these improvements will build accountability and trust between the VA police and anyone who walks through VA facility doors across the country.

H.R. 2429 was reported favorably by the committee, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice), my good friend, a former member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and the lead Democratic cosponsor.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the bill of the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice).

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Kathleen M. RiceD-NY-4 · Jun 15, 2021

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill, the VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act, H.R. 2429. This bill takes important steps to strengthen oversight and accountability…

Rep. Mike BostR-IL-12 · Jun 15, 2021

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2429, the VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act. This bill represents months of…

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued June 16, 2021

IIB

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2429

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 16, 2021

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

AN ACT

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the staffing, transparency, and accountability of the law enforcement operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act.

Improvements to transparency of law enforcement operations of Department of Veterans Affairs

(a)

Provision of information

Section 902 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(e)

(1)

The Secretary shall publish on the internet website of each facility of the Department the following information with respect to the facility:

(A)

Summaries and statistics covering the previous five-year period regarding—

(i)

arrests made by and tickets issued by Department police officers;

(ii)

prosecutions, ticketing, and other actions relating to such arrests;

(iii)

the use of force and weapons discharge by Department police officers; and

(iv)

complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions regarding Department police officers.

(B)

Contact information for employees of the Department and the public to directly contact the police force of the facility, including for an individual (or the representative, attorney, or authorized agent of the individual) to request information regarding the arrest, ticketing, detainment, use of force, or other police matters pertaining to that individual.

(2)

The Secretary shall ensure that each police force of a facility of the Department is able to provide to an individual who contacts the police force pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) the information described in such paragraph.

(b)

Use of body worn cameras by Department police officers

(1)

Requirement

Subsection (a) of such section 902 is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(3)

Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall require Department police officers to use cameras worn on the individual police officer’s person that record and store audio and video (commonly known as body worn cameras).

(2)

Guidance

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue, and make publicly available, guidance on the use of body worn cameras by Department police officers pursuant to section 902(a)(3) of title 38, United States Code, as amended by paragraph (1).

(3)

Consultation

The Secretary shall issue the guidance under paragraph (2) in consultation with veterans service organizations, civil rights organizations, law enforcement organizations, law enforcement accreditation organizations, privacy rights organizations, and other relevant organizations or experts.

(c)

Data and reporting on police incidents

Section 902 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(f)

Police incidents

(1)

(A)

The Secretary shall track and analyze the following information regarding the police force of the Department:

(i)

Arrests made by and tickets issued by Department police officers.

(ii)

Prosecutions, ticketing, and other actions relating to such arrests.

(iii)

The use of force and weapons discharge.

(iv)

Complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions.

(B)

The Secretary shall carry out subparagraph (A) by implementing one or more Department-wide data systems.

(2)

(A)

Beginning not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that each incident described in subparagraph (C) is promptly reported to the Assistant Secretary with responsibility for operations, preparedness, security, and law enforcement functions.

(B)

The Assistant Secretary shall, in a timely manner—

(i)

review each incident described in subparagraph (C)(i) that is reported under subparagraph (A); and

(ii)

investigate each incident described in subparagraph (C)(ii) that is reported under subparagraph (A).

(C)

An incident described in this subparagraph is either of the following:

(i)

An incident, including an allegation, of the use of force by a Department police officer.

(ii)

An incident, including an allegation, of the use of force by a Department police officer that results in any person receiving medical attention.

(d)

Plan on police staffing

The Secretary shall develop a plan that establishes minimum standards for police staffing at each facility of the Department, including with respect to—

(1)

the number of Department police officers assigned to each facility; and

(2)

the pay grades for such officers.

(e)

Report on implementation

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the implementation of this section and the amendments made by this section. The report shall include the following:

(1)

With respect to the staffing needs of the Department police force—

(A)

identification of the amount of turnover among Department police officers;

(B)

how the compensation for Department police officers affects such turnover;

(C)

a comparison of such compensation with the compensation provided to specialty police units, such as police units at medical facilities and other police units in the same locality pay area; and

(D)

the plan developed under subsection (d), including—

(i)

estimates on the costs to carry out the plan; and

(ii)

any recommendations for legislative actions required to carry out the plan.

(2)

With respect to body worn cameras, a review of the implementation and use of body worn cameras by Department police officers, including under pilot programs carried out by the Secretary during the five-year period preceding the date of the report.

(f)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term body worn camera means a camera worn on an individual police officer’s person that records and stores audio and video.

(2)

The term Department police officer means an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs described in section 902(a) of title 38, United States Code.

Passed the House of Representatives June 15, 2021.

Cheryl L. Johnson,

Clerk.