H.R. 7683 — VA Fiscal Management Modernization Act

This section revises 38 U.S.C. 309 to designate the Assistant Secretary for Management—who has budgetary and financial functions—as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); specifies seven CFO duties, including budget formulation and execution, financial controls and audits, Antideficiency Act compliance, congressional reporting, and heading the new Office of Management; establishes two Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Management (one for Financial Strategy and Budget, and one career Senior Executive Service appointee for Financial Operations and Internal Controls); creates the Office of Management; and establishes within it the Legislative and Congressional Budget Information Office (LCBI Office)—headed by a CFO appointee, limited to 15 full-time equivalent employees, with the sole function of providing Congress accurate, timely, and certified VA financial and budget information. The section further increases the maximum number of VA Deputy Assistant Secretaries to 21 (from 19); adds new section 729 requiring VA chief financial officers (or equivalent positions) in administrations or Veterans Integrated Service Networks to report exclusively to the CFO and prohibiting them from performing programmatic or operational functions, while barring the Secretary from creating positions duplicating the LCBI Office outside that office; and directs implementation within 180 days of enactment.