To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the designation of an Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs as the Chief Minority Affairs Officer of the Department.
Public Law 102-218 · H.R. 3327 · 102nd Congress · began in the House
Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Dec 11, 1991 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Rep. Sonny Montgomery (D-MS-3)
Cosponsors (9): Rep. Charlie Rangel, Rep. Chalmers Wylie,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate one of the Assistant Secretaries in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as the Chief Minority Affairs Officer. Outlines the duties of the Chief Minority Affairs Officer, including the following: (1) investigating and examining VA activities affecting minority group members who are veterans or who receive benefits from the VA; (2) assessing the needs of minority veterans within the VA; (3) advising the Secretary regarding the effect on minority veterans of policies, regulations, and programs of the VA and of methods to ensure that minority veterans are afforded an opportunity to participate fully in the activities and benefits of the VA; and (4) carrying out any other additional functions as the Secretary may prescribe.
Requires the Secretary, no less than biennially, to report to the Congress a detailed description of: (1) any activities and policies of the VA relating to minority group members who are veterans or who receive benefits from the VA; and (2) the duties of the Chief Minority Affairs Officer.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.
- Dec 11, 1991Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-218.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 3, 1991PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Nov 27, 1991FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Nov 25, 1991FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Montgomery moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Nov 22, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Nov 13, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Sep 12, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Veterans' Affairs Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.