H.R. 2082 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to participate in the Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA) Warstopper Program. Through that program, the agency contracts with manufacturers to quickly obtain critical medical supplies such as ventilators, surgical masks, and other items. The bill also would prohibit VA from solely relying on regional physical inventories of critical items in order to respond to public health emergencies. VA can contract through DLA under current law and has taken steps to do so. Thus, satisfying that requirement would not affect the federal budget.
