ARCA Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill centralizes all VA purchasing, contracting, and supply chain work under a single new Office of Acquisition, led by an Assistant Secretary for Acquisition who also serves as the department's Chief Acquisition Officer. This reorganization pulls acquisition activities away from the Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration, and National Cemetery Administration.
• A new Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation will report directly to the VA Secretary and conduct independent cost estimates for big purchases. This director must send Congress an annual report flagging any program where the independent cost estimate topped the budget request by more than 5 percent.
• The VA would be required to at least double (and up to quadruple) the number of participants in its acquisition internship programs to build a stronger pipeline of entry-level procurement workers. This requirement stays in place until the VA certifies to Congress that enough graduates exist to meet its staffing needs.
• Outside contractors will be hired through competitive bidding to independently verify and validate the VA's biggest acquisition projects. Strict conflict-of-interest rules bar any company from performing this oversight role if it cannot prove it has no financial stake in the programs it reviews.
• A 'major acquisition program' is defined as any purchase exceeding $1 billion over its lifetime or $200 million per year. These programs get dedicated managers who must be certified at the highest level in project management, and they face structured oversight at every acquisition phase.