HouseH.R. 8946119th Congress
Veterans Affairs Heritage Act of 2026
Full Text
Official text as published. Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search within the document.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8946 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8946
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish within the
Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Affairs History Office, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 20, 2026
Mr. Turner of Ohio (for himself and Mr. Landsman) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish within the
Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Affairs History Office, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Affairs Heritage Act of
2026''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) On January 19, 2017, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Robert A. McDonald signed a Memorandum of Agreement that
established goals for the Department of Veterans Affairs and
regional leaders of Dayton, Ohio, to advance a history office
as a community partnership.
(2) A report commissioned by the Department determined
that, ``a central History Office, properly staffed and
resourced, can become an essential ally for the Department's
senior staff at Headquarters and in the field.''.
(3) The establishment of a History Office in the Department
pursuant to an executive memorandum of the Department, dated
April 10, 2020, is a vital contribution to honoring veterans
and improving the understanding of how they served the United
States.
(4) Department of Veterans Affairs Directive 7777, titled
``Implementation of the VA History Program'', was issued on
February 9, 2021, and established the policies,
responsibilities, and management directions for the Department
of Veterans Affairs History Program.
(5) The centennial year of the Department is 2030 and such
year is a goal for establishing a robust program of ongoing
history outreach activities and permanent public exhibits
telling the story of the Department.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HISTORY OFFICE.
(a) In General.--Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 325. History Office
``(a) Establishment.--
``(1) In general.--There is established within the
Department an office comprising a history program and a
national history center.
``(2) Designation.--The office established under paragraph
(1) shall be known as the `Department of Veterans Affairs
History Office' (in this section referred to as the `Office').
``(3) Location.--
``(A) In general.--The Office shall be located in
Dayton, Ohio, at a facility of the Department that the
Secretary determines appropriate.
``(B) Sunset.--The requirement under subparagraph
(A) shall terminate on the date that is eight years
after the date of the enactment of this section.
``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Office shall be--
``(1) to collect, preserve, and provide access to relevant
historical records, artifacts, and cultural resources of the
Department (and any predecessor organization); and
``(2) to tell a comprehensive story of the Department (and
any predecessor organization) to veterans, government agencies,
and the public.
``(c) Office Composition.--
``(1) Chief historian.--The head of the Office shall be the
Chief Historian of the Department (in this section referred to
as the `Chief Historian'), who shall report directly to the
Secretary.
``(2) Administrative staff.--The Office may be comprised of
such other professional and administrative staff as the
Secretary determines necessary for the Office to fulfill the
responsibilities described in subsection (d), consistent with
the purposes specified in subsection (b).
``(d) Responsibilities.--The Office shall be responsible for--
``(1) carrying out--
``(A) the activities set forth in VA Directive
7777, relating to implementation of a Department
history program, and dated February 9, 2021, or any
successor directive; and
``(B) public activities and educational
opportunities, including print and web-based
publications and exhibits, and virtual augmented
reality technologies that increase awareness of the
contributions of the Department in supporting veterans;
``(2) constructing, renovating, repairing, operating, and
maintaining new or existing Department facilities used for--
``(A) preservation, restoration, and public access
to Department historic materials, archives, and
artifacts;
``(B) training with respect to the preservation of
historic materials, archives, and artifacts; or
``(C) education relating to the history of the
Department and its predecessor organizations;
``(3) maintaining facilities for access to, and storage of,
historic materials, artifacts, and archives, compliant with
recognized specifications for such facilities, including--
``(A) storage facilities;
``(B) conference facilities; and
``(C) public exhibit space; and
``(4) conducting education and training on the preservation
of historical materials, archival management, digitization,
restoration, historical research, and related subjects to
assist the Department.
``(e) Internal Coordination Group.--
``(1) Establishment.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this section, the
Secretary shall--
``(i) establish an internal coordination
group (in this subsection the `Group') to
assist the Office in fulfilling the
responsibilities described in subsection (d),
consistent with the purposes specified in
subsection (b); and
``(ii) issue, in regulations, a charter
that includes requirements for the
administration and operation of the Group.
``(B) Responsibilities.--The Group shall be
responsible for advising the Office on matters relating
to operations of the Office, including such matters
relating to the provisions of continuity and resourcing
for the development of the history program or the
national history center described in subsection (a).
``(C) Operation.--The Group shall operate in
accordance with--
``(i) the charter issued pursuant to
subparagraph (A); and
``(ii) such other procedures relating to
the administration and operation of the Group
as the Secretary determines appropriate.
``(2) Group members.--The Group shall be comprised of the
following:
``(A) The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
``(B) The Assistant Secretary for Management and
Chief Financial Officer, or designee.
``(C) The Chief Historian.
``(D) A senior employee selected by the Secretary
from each of the following:
``(i) The Veterans Experience Office.
``(ii) The Office of Congressional and
Legislative Affairs.
``(iii) The Office of Acquisition Logistics
and Construction.
``(iv) The Office of the General Counsel.
``(v) The Veterans Health Administration.
``(vi) The Veterans Benefits
Administration.
``(vii) The National Cemetery
Administration.
``(E) Such other officers and employees of the
Department as the Secretary considers appropriate.
``(3) Chair.--The chair of the Group shall be the Deputy
Secretary.
``(f) Transfer of Certain Functions.--
``(1) Veterans legacy program; veterans legacy memorial.--
The functions relating to the administration of the Veterans
Legacy Program and the Veterans Legacy Memorial which, on the
day before the date of the enactment of this section, were
performed by the National Cemetery Administration, are hereby
transferred to the Office. Any efforts with respect to the
administration of the Veterans Legacy Program and the Veterans
Legacy Memorial beginning on or after such date shall be
carried out by the Office.
``(2) Veterans' history project.--The functions relating to
the administration of the oral history program required under
section 3 of the Veterans' Oral History Project Act (Public Law
106-380; 20 U.S.C. 2142) which, on the day before the date of
the enactment of this Act, were performed by the Director of
the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, are
hereby transferred to the Office. Any efforts with respect to
the administration of the such oral history program beginning
on or after such date shall be carried out by the Office.
``(3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed to require functions relating to the
administration of the National Archives Veterans Oral History
project to be transferred to the Office.
``(g) Gifts and Bequests.--
``(1) Authority to accept.--The Secretary may accept, hold,
administer, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of real
property, personal property, or money made on the condition
that the gift, devise, or bequest be used for the benefit, or
in connection with, the purposes and activities of the Office,
including a gift, devise, or bequest of an improvement made
pursuant to subsection (f)(3).
``(2) Disposition of property.--The Secretary may authorize
the sale of donated property received under paragraph (1). A
sale under this paragraph need not be conducted in accordance
with disposal requirements that would otherwise apply, so long
as the sale is conducted at arms-length and includes an
auditable transaction record.
``(3) Use of money and proceeds.--Any money received under
paragraph (1) and any proceeds from the sale of property under
paragraph (2) shall be deposited into a fund established in the
Treasury to support the purposes and activities of the Office.
``(h) Partnerships, Cooperative Agreements, and Lease Authority.--
``(1) Partnerships.--The Secretary may enter into a
partnership or cooperative agreement with an organization to
support the Office in fulfilling the responsibilities under
subsection (d).
``(2) Lease authority.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary may lease portions
of any real property or facility of the Office to a
nonprofit organization for use in generating revenue
for the support of activities of the Office and for
such administrative purposes as may be necessary for
support of the Office.
``(B) Rent.--Any rent received by the Secretary
under a lease under subparagraph (A), including rent-
in-kind, shall be used solely to cover or defray the
costs of fulfilling the responsibilities under
subsection (d).
``(3) Improvements.--The Secretary may permit a nonprofit
organization to make improvements to real property or a
facility of the Office for the construction of a multipurpose
facility to be used for historical displays for public viewing,
curation, and storage of artifacts, research facilities,
classrooms, offices, and associated activities consistent with
the mission of the Office.
``(i) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed as affecting the authority of the Archivist of the United
States with respect to the management of permanent records of the
Department.
``(j) Nonprofit Organization Defined.--In this section, the term
`nonprofit organization means' an organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation
under section 501(a) of that Code.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 3 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following
new item:
``325. History Office.''.
SEC. 4. REPORTS.
(a) Long Range Planning.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the
House of Representatives a report on proposed activities of the
Department of Veterans Affairs History Office established pursuant to
section 325(a) of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 3.
(b) Contents.--Such report shall include plans for the following:
(1) Staffing and budget.
(2) Organizational charts pertaining to the current staff
and location of the History Office within the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(3) Construction and renovation of facilities supporting
the History Office, including the National Department of
Veterans Affairs History Center.
(4) Such recommendations for legislative or administrative
action as the Secretary determines appropriate with respect to
the History Office.
(c) Annual Progress Reports.--Not later than one year after the
date on which the Secretary submits the report required by subsection
(a), and not less frequently than annually thereafter until December
31, 2030, the Chief Historian of the Department of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and
the House of Representatives a report on the progress of the History
Office.
<all>