To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a portal for maintaining digital records of former members of the Armed Forces and to establish an advisory committee regarding the maintenance of those records, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · November 14, 2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a digital portal where veterans and their families can easily access their military service records online. The legislation also establishes a 12-member advisory committee with representatives from the VA, Department of Defense, all military branches, the National Archives, software specialists, and veterans organizations to guide the development of this portal and address related issues. The advisory committee must hold its first meeting within 90 days of the bill's enactment and meet at least quarterly, then submit a report to Congress within 180 days of that first meeting outlining recommendations. The committee will assess technical challenges, privacy protections, accessibility options for those without internet access, and how records will transition to public archives after 62 years. No new funding is authorized for this effort; the VA must use its existing budget to implement the portal and support the advisory committee, which will be dissolved two years after the bill becomes law.
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