Bill · H.R. 6833· House(119-HR-6833)
ARCA Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 12/18/2025
- Last activity
- 5/20/2026 — Committee Hearings Held
- Sponsored by
- Tom Barrett
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment Act of 2025 aims to reorganize how the Department of Veterans Affairs handles its acquisition and procurement structures. It establishes an Office of Acquisition led by an Assistant Secretary who serves as the Chief Acquisition Officer. The bill creates specific roles for program managers and deputy assistant secretaries to oversee logistics, procurement, and program performance. It also establishes a Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation to provide independent cost estimates and effectiveness reviews. Additionally, the act implements independent verification and validation for major acquisition programs. Finally, it focuses on improving entry-level hiring through expanded internship programs.
Yes· 3 of 8
Would students be better off under this?+5
The bill mandates an increase in the number of participants in VA acquisition internship programs.
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+4
The bill aims to improve the efficiency, cost management, and professionalism of the VA acquisition process which serves veterans.
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?+3
The bill seeks to improve the management and cost-effectiveness of the systems that deliver veteran benefits.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Oversight of Large Programs: The bill creates a specific definition for "major acquisition program" based on cost thresholds, ensuring large-scale projects receive targeted management and oversight (Section 2).
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Enhanced Program Management: By requiring Program Executive Officers and Major Acquisition Program Managers to hold specific project management certifications, the bill ensures that large programs are led by qualified professionals (Sections 2 and 3).
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Increased Accountability through Independent Reviews: The establishment of independent verification and validation for major programs can help ensure that requirements, costs, and schedules are correctly defined and met (Section 5).
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Better Cost Management: The creation of a Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation allows for independent cost estimates and annual reports to help improve acquisition efficiency (Section 6).
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Workforce Development Opportunities: The bill directs the Secretary to prioritize the use of internship programs to hire employees into entry-level acquisition positions, which includes a mandate to significantly increase the number of participants (Section 7).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Organizational Upheaval: The mandate to organizationally consolidate all acquisition, procurement, contracting, and logistics activities under the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition within one year represents a significant structural change (Section 4).
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Potential Resource Constraints for Requirements Development: The bill restricts the creation of new positions for the requirements development process unless a specific cost-benefit analysis justifies the additional resources (Section 9).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Students+5Good For Veterans+4Good For Seniors+2
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+3
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+1
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+1
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Social Security+1
- 9/3/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/20/2026
- Committee Hearings Held
- 3/18/2026
- Committee Hearings Held
- 12/18/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mark MessmerRepublican · Indiana