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Improving VA Accountability to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act of 2021

Floor Speech

Date: May 17, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Women Employment and Affirmative Action

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Mr. TAKANO. 2704. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2704, sponsored by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Pappas, takes important steps to address sexual harassment and discrimination at the VA.

This bipartisan legislation, the Improving VA Accountability to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act, would prioritize VA's tracking and responses to allegations.

For example, it requires VA's Equal Employment Opportunity Director to report directly to the Deputy Secretary. It also requires that any VA manager who receives a report of sexual or other harassment, or employment discrimination, report that complaint within 2 business days.

Among other important actions, this bill will also mandate additional training to identify and address sexual, and other types of harassment, and employment discrimination.

This legislation is based largely on the work of the Government Accountability Office, who testified in our committee during July of last year.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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