S.Amdt. 3286

The Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment Act of 2025 (or ARCA Act of 2025) is an amendment to bill S. 2296. Its purpose is to reform how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles the buying of services, supplies, technology, and systems.

The amendment aims to add the following changes to the bill:

• New Leadership and Structure: It creates an Office of Acquisition led by an Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, who will serve as the Chief Acquisition Officer. This office will include Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Logistics, Procurement, and Acquisition, Program Management, and Performance.
• Management of Major Programs: It defines a major acquisition program as one with a total life cycle cost over $1,000,000,000 or an annual cost exceeding $200,000,000. These programs must be overseen by certified Program Executive Officers and specific program managers.
• Accountability and Oversight: It establishes a Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation to provide independent cost estimates and annual reports to the Secretary and Congress. It also requires competitive contracts for independent verification and validation of major programs.
• Organizational Changes: The Secretary must consolidate all VA activities related to acquisition, procurement, contracting, and logistics under the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition within one year.
• Process Improvements: The amendment requires a standardized requirements development process for major programs and a systems engineering analysis conducted in partnership with the Department of Defense.
• Workforce Development: The VA must prioritize using internship programs to fill entry-level acquisition positions, aiming to increase the number of participants to between two and four times the 2025 level.