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HR 4221 111th Congress House

Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Improvement Act of 2009

Official title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for improved acquisition practices by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Introduced: December 8, 2009 See on congress.gov
Armed Forces and National Security Department of Veterans AffairsExecutive agency funding and structureGovernment information and archivesHealth technology, devices, supplies
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Public contracts and procurementSmall businessVeterans' medical care
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 8, 2009
Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
Dec 8, 2009
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Dec 8, 2009
Referred to House Veterans' Affairs
Dec 8, 2009
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E2908)
Dec 8, 2009
Introduced in House
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 Latest action December 8, 2009

Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Improvement Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include in the responsibilities of the Assistant Secretaries responsibilities for acquisition, construction, and asset management functions. Requires the Secretary to assign one Deputy Assistant Secretary to each of the following: (1) information technology acquisition; (2) acquisition services for the Veterans Benefits Administration, the National Cemetery Administration, and the Department headquarters; (3) construction acquisitions and leasing; (4) acquisition services for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA); (5) national contracts, including contracts for health care products and services awarded by the National Acquisition Center (other than contracts for information technology); (6) policy; and (7) asset enterprise management and logistics.

Establishes in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): (1) a Chief Acquisition Officer, with the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Construction, and Asset Management serving as the Chief Acquisition Officer; (2) a Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Construction, and Asset Management; and (3) seven Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Acquisition, with the seven functions listed in the preceding paragraph.

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and maintain a Department-wide acquisition program under which the Secretary shall develop, implement, and enforce a streamlined approach to entering into contracts and purchasing goods and services.

Authorizes the Secretary to enter into personal services contracts for medical specialist services and the sharing of VA health care resources.

Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to include under the term "competitive procedures" the procedures established by the Secretary for the use of federal supply schedules that are open to all responsible sources and result in the lowest cost alternative to meet the needs of the government. Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations to provide procedures for soliciting, negotiating, awarding, and administering such supply schedules.

Revises VA small business contracting goals. Prohibits the Secretary from including in a database of small businesses owned and controlled by veterans a small business that is the vendor of a commercial item unless the vendor is the manufacturer or regular dealer of the item, unless the Secretary specifically provides a waiver with respect to that vendor. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish specific criteria for verifying the status of each small business proposed to be included in the database; and (2) specify the North American Industry Classification System code or codes of the goods and services that may be procured from each small business so listed.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4221: Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Improvement Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4221/
MLA
"H.R. 4221: Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Improvement Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4221/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4221, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4221/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4221: Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Improvement Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4221/)
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