S. 2412: Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Reform Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Reform Act of 2025, aims to improve various operations within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), specifically focusing on construction, procurement, and facility management activities. Here’s a summary of its key provisions:

1. Findings

The bill outlines several findings related to the current status of the VA, noting issues such as:

• The organization of VA’s construction and leasing activities is not compliant with existing law.
• The VA lacks a coherent approach to manage its real estate and infrastructure effectively.
• There are redundancies and inefficiencies in the procurement and acquisition processes within the Department.

2. Revisions to the Director of Construction and Facilities Management

The bill proposes amendments to the responsibilities of the Director of Construction and Facilities Management, including:

• Including the Under Secretary for Health and the Chief Acquisition Officer in supervisory roles.
• Ensuring that employees involved in planning, design, construction, leasing, and procurement report directly to the Director.

3. Consolidation of Departments

Within one year of the bill’s enactment, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to:

• Consolidate the functions of the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Veterans Health Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration under the Director of Construction and Facilities Management.
• Create a regional organizational structure for these employees.

4. Consolidation of Acquisition and Procurement Activities

The bill requires the Secretary to consolidate acquisition, procurement, and logistics functions under the Chief Acquisition Officer of the VA. This includes establishing a new regional organizational structure for these activities aligning with the existing networks of the VA.

5. Hiring Improvements for Entry-Level Positions

To strengthen the acquisition workforce, the bill emphasizes:

• Prioritizing internship programs for hiring into entry-level acquisition roles.
• Increasing the annual number of internship participants to at least double those from the previous fiscal year, with a cap on the maximum increase.

6. Reporting Requirements

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must submit various reports to Congress, including:

• A report on how the VA will utilize specific hiring authorities to boost its acquisition workforce.
• A report on the implementation of the consolidation activities mandated by the bill.

7. Effective Date

The bill outlines a timeline for implementing its provisions, primarily requiring actions to be taken within one year following its enactment.

Relevant Companies

None found