Reinstatement of Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Equity Assurance; biannual briefing

(a) Reinstatement Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— (1) permanently reinstate the authority, functions, responsibilities, and research activities of the Office of Equity Assurance of the Veterans Benefits Administration; (2) reinstate the employment of each employee of the Office of Equity Assurance, if such employee was terminated after January 20, 2025; (3) ensure that a position in the Office of Equity Assurance may not be eliminated pursuant to a reduction in force; and (4) provide to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a briefing with respect to the status of the implementation of recommendations included in the report of the Comptroller General of the United States titled VA Disability Benefits: Action Needed to Further Examine Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Compensation (GAO–23–106097; published July 26, 2023). (b) Biannual briefing Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary reinstates the Office of Equity Assurance pursuant to subsection (a), and on a biannual basis thereafter, the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits shall provide to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a briefing on the data, research, and analysis developed by the Office of Equity Assurance during the period covered by the briefing.