A Senate bill is seeking to restructure the procurement process at the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve services for veterans and VA beneficiaries.
Centralized Office for Procurement
Introduced by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., the Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment, or ARCA, Act of 2025 would establish an Office of Acquisition and Innovation to better define major acquisition programs at VA, streamline oversight and contracting processes, enhance accountability through independent evaluations and reporting, and improve training for VA staff, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs said Wednesday.
The ARCA Act would also require the VA secretary to appoint deputy assistant secretaries for logistics, innovation and procurement.
According to Moran, the Senate committee chair, the proposed overhaul of the VA acquisition structure would unify management, boost transparency and innovation, and strengthen staff development to ensure veterans and their families will receive benefits and services efficiently and effectively.
Veteran Services Impacted by Complex Procedures
During a committee hearing on Tuesday about VA Secretary Doug Collins’ plans for the agency, Moran noted how the bureaucracy at VA impedes some of the department’s successes.
“The current way of doing business at the VA is not working for every veteran or military family,” the senator said. “I hear from Kansas veterans and their loved ones – as well as Kansans who work for the VA in the medical facilities, regional offices and veterans’ cemeteries – about the challenges they are facing.”
