HR6833-119

What This Bill Does

The ARCA Act is a detailed acquisition-reform bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs. It treats major VA acquisitions as programs exceeding $1 billion in lifecycle cost or $200 million annually. It adds a new acquisition subchapter to title 38, increases the number of VA Assistant Secretaries from seven to eight, designates an Assistant Secretary for Acquisition as the Chief Acquisition Officer, creates an Office of Acquisition, and requires major acquisition program offices to report through that office. It also requires deputy assistant secretaries for logistics, procurement, and acquisition program management; no fewer than four Program Executive Officers; and congressional budget-justification visibility for the Office of Acquisition and major acquisition programs. For each major program, the bill requires a certified manager within 30 days of program approval, program baselines covering cost, schedule, performance, phases, and risk, documentation delivery to decision makers, and regular status reports. It consolidates acquisition, procurement, contracting, logistics, and supply-chain activities from VHA, VBA, NCA, and other VA elements under the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, with a plan and briefing to the veterans affairs committees. It requires competitive independent verification and validation contracts using experienced systems engineering contractors, creates a Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation reporting to the Secretary, requires independent cost estimates and annual reports listing programs where estimates exceed budget requests by more than 5 percent, doubles to quadruples entry-level acquisition internship hiring from fiscal year 2025 levels until VA certifies the pipeline is sufficient, directs an MOU with the Defense Acquisition Research Center for an independent systems engineering analysis, and requires a standardized requirements-development process using mission-driven needs assessments, stakeholder input, statutory alignment, and independent validation without new positions unless cost-benefit analysis justifies them.

Who Benefits and How

Veterans benefit if VA technology, facilities, health, benefits, cemetery, logistics, and service programs are less likely to overrun budgets or miss performance goals. Congressional veterans affairs committees benefit from clearer budget materials, consolidation plans, briefings, cost-estimate reports, and independent acquisition findings. Experienced systems engineering and validation contractors benefit from competitive contracts for independent verification and validation. Entry-level acquisition workers benefit from expanded VA internship hiring and a larger acquisition workforce pipeline.

Who Bears the Burden and How

VA acquisition leadership must absorb a major reorganization, appoint new acquisition officials, align program offices, consolidate procurement and logistics functions, and maintain budget visibility. Program Executive Officers and major acquisition program managers must hold certifications, prepare baselines, manage documentation, report status, and track cost, schedule, performance, and risk. The Chief Acquisition Officer must evaluate contractor eligibility and conflicts. The Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Director must write policy, conduct independent estimates, evaluate programs, and report annually. VA program offices must use the new requirements-development process and may face additional validation before proceeding.

Key Provisions

• Defines major VA acquisition programs using $1 billion lifecycle and $200 million annual cost thresholds.
• Creates a dedicated Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Chief Acquisition Officer role, and Office of Acquisition.
• Requires certified managers, program baselines, documentation, and status reporting for major acquisition programs.
• Directs VA to consolidate acquisition, procurement, contracting, logistics, and supply-chain activities under the acquisition office.
• Requires competitive independent verification and validation contracts for major acquisition programs.
• Creates a Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Director with independent estimate and annual reporting duties.
• Expands entry-level VA acquisition internship hiring to two to four times fiscal year 2025 participation levels.
• Requires a Defense Acquisition Research Center analysis of VA acquisition processes.
• Requires standardized requirements development using needs assessments, stakeholder input, statutory alignment, and independent validation.