The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on September 28 voted to approve the Access for Veterans to Records Act of 2022, which aims to cut down on the existing backlog of service records requests by U.S. military veterans.
The committee’s vote sends the measure – introduced earlier this month by Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. – to the full Senate for consideration.
The legislation would task the head of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) with creating a plan within 60 days to reduce the backlog of requests for records with the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), which is part of NARA.
That plan would have to incorporate ways to improve information technology infrastructure with existing funds, and implement strategies to prevent future record request backlogs.
The House approved similar legislation in July.
