Bill Overview
Title: Access for Veterans to Records Act
Description: This bill directs the Office of the Archivist of the United States to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan for reducing the backlog of requests for records from, and improving the efficiency and responsiveness of operations at, the National Personnel Records Center. Such plan must include an estimate of the number of backlogged record requests for veterans; target time frames to reduce the backlog; a detailed plan for using existing funds to improve technology infrastructure, including secure access to appropriate agency federal records, to prevent future backlogs; actions to improve customer service for requesters; measurable goals with respect to the comprehensive plan and metrics for tracking progress toward such goals; and strategies to prevent future record request backlogs, including backlogs caused by an event that prevents employees of the center from reporting to work in person. The office must submit updates of such plan at specified intervals.
Sponsors: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans seeking access to their records
Estimated Size: 19000000
- The National Personnel Records Center holds military service records.
- Many veterans request access to their military service records for various purposes including benefits and personal records.
- Backlogs in record requests can impact veterans' ability to access timely benefits.
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Archives are primarily U.S.-based organizations addressing services for U.S. veterans.
Reasoning
- Veterans make up a significant portion of the US population and have specific bureaucratic needs, particularly when accessing records for benefits.
- This policy is aimed at reducing delays in accessing records, which is expected to alleviate stress and improve well-being for affected veterans.
- Due to the U.S.-centric focus, only American veterans or their family members dealing with records will be directly impacted.
- There will be variability in the level of impact as not all veterans are currently waiting for records.
- Budget limitations imply that there will be an incremental improvement, with noticeable effects primarily on those currently impacted by the backlog.
- It's crucial for the plan to include both short-term and long-term goals to maintain efficiency gains over the decades.
Simulated Interviews
retired military (Ohio)
Age: 68 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I have been waiting for my records for over a year, so any effort to speed things up is welcomed.
- The stress has been significant because it affects my health benefits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
information technology specialist (California)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't have any pending record requests, but it's good to know improvements are being made for others.
- It's important for families and veterans to have timely access to these records.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
truck driver (Texas)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's frustrating how long the record retrieval takes. Any policy that quickens the process is a positive in my view.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
social worker (Florida)
Age: 45 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm optimistic that this policy could ease my clients' difficulties with record retrieval.
- Streamlining these processes will really help improve service delivery to veterans.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
retired teacher (Arizona)
Age: 78 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.5 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's about time the government did something about this backlog.
- I personally haven't needed any records recently, but this will definitely benefit others.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
student (New York)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's been unnecessarily difficult to get the documentation I need for my education benefits.
- I really hope this speeds things up.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
contractor (Michigan)
Age: 61 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've almost given up hope on getting my records anytime soon, but this policy could change that.
- Anything to expedite the process is a step forward.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
nurse (North Carolina)
Age: 36 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.5 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think the policy will help those who need to get their records faster.
- My concern is whether the budget will really be enough to make a noticeable change quickly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
software engineer (Washington)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've seen firsthand how frustrating these delays can be for my fellow veterans.
- I believe this policy could lead to significant improvements, but it needs consistent updates and accountability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
retired nurse (Pennsylvania)
Age: 82 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I haven't been directly affected by delays, but for families of younger veterans, time is critical.
- This move is certainly overdue.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $35000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $40000000)
Year 3: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Year 5: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $30000000)
Year 10: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 100: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Key Considerations
- Improving technology infrastructure is essential to prevent future backlogs and ensure efficient service delivery.
- Short-term costs include addressing the backlog and setting up the new system while long-term savings could arise from reduced operational inefficiencies.
- The policy does not directly increase GDP but may have indirect benefits through smoother benefits processing for veterans.