Bill Overview
Title: Access for Veterans to Records Act of 2022
Description: This bill directs the Office of the Archivist of the United States to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan for eliminating 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 the number and percentage of unresolved veteran record requests that have been pending for more than 20 days, 90 days, and one year; target time frames to eliminate 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: Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans seeking their personnel records
Estimated Size: 19000000
- The bill targets the backlog of requests at the National Personnel Records Center, which primarily holds records for military personnel.
- Veterans often need access to their personnel records for benefits, healthcare, and employment purposes.
- By addressing and streamlining the records request process, the bill directly influences veterans awaiting records.
- The improvement of technology infrastructure should make the records request process more efficient, benefiting veterans who need timely access to their records.
Reasoning
- The Access for Veterans to Records Act directly targets veterans, a population estimated at 19 million in the US.
- The primary benefit lies in expedited access to military records, which can impact veterans needing documents for benefits and employment.
- A budget of $12 million in the first year means significant, but also resource-constrained, improvements, necessitating focused interventions that address the most critical backlog issues first.
- Veterans already well-integrated into civilian life may experience minimal direct benefit if their need for records is infrequent.
Simulated Interviews
Veteran Services Agent (Colorado Springs, CO)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm pleased to see this bill. I deal with veterans who struggle due to delays in getting their records.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Human Resources Manager (San Diego, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This initiative will likely speed up recruitment processes as veterans can provide their service records faster.
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 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
IT Specialist (Austin, TX)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improved tech infrastructure is crucial; anything to streamline processes is a win.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Retired (Chicago, IL)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Streamlining records could reduce my anxiety about accessing healthcare services—every little bit helps.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Healthcare Professional (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better customer service at the National Personnel Records Center would help veterans seeking medical benefits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Nurse (Houston, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this means fewer emergency requests for records. Veterans often find themselves unprepared.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Accountant (New York, NY)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If it's faster to get records for tax filings, that cuts a lot of stress every year.
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 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Counselor (Seattle, WA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Eliminating backlog could help reduce the stress and depression I see in veterans awaiting documentation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Retired (Miami, FL)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything that can speed up getting records will help older vets like me. Those benefits make a huge difference.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
College Student (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Quick and easy access to my records helps with school benefits and future job prospects.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $12000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $15000000)
Year 2: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $13000000)
Year 3: $8000000 (Low: $6000000, High: $10000000)
Year 5: $6000000 (Low: $5000000, High: $8000000)
Year 10: $2000000 (Low: $1000000, High: $4000000)
Year 100: $500000 (Low: $200000, High: $1000000)
Key Considerations
- Efficient implementation and monitoring of the strategic plan will be crucial to success.
- Continuous technological updates are vital to maintaining efficiency and preventing future backlogs.
- Potential risks include increased costs if more resources are needed than anticipated in improving technology and customer service.