H.R. 7163: VA FOIA Reform Act of 2020
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H.R. 7163: VA FOIA Reform Act of 2020
116th Congress · introduced 2020-06-11 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2020-06-11 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray, Jr. [D-CA-39] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
VA FOIA Reform Act of 2020
Plain summary
VA FOIA Reform Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reduce the backlog of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by 75% within three years of enactment of the bill. Additionally, the VA must reduce the backlog of Office of Special Counsel requests made to the VA by 75% within three years of the enactment of this bill. The VA must determine the types of documents, records, and information that are frequently requested under FOIA and must regularly make such documents, records, and information publicly available. Finally, the VA must request that the Office of Government Information Services within the National Archives and Records Administration conduct an assessment of the VA's compliance with FOIA.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
VA FOIA Reform Act of 2020
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text
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The strongest published arguments
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray, Jr. [D-CA-39] · 1 cosponsors
Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 7163, VA FOIA Reform Act of 2020 (2020-11-18)
Cosponsors on this site
Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray, Jr. [D-CA-39] reported raising $853,124 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr7163.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>
Record fed-us-cong116-hr7163 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116