This legislation aims to significantly restructure the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) acquisition processes to improve efficiency and accountability. It establishes an Assistant Secretary for Acquisition , who will also serve as the Chief Acquisition Officer, solely dedicated to overseeing all acquisition functions. Under this Assistant Secretary, an Office of Acquisition will be created, consolidating all major acquisition program offices and related activities, including procurement, logistics, and supply chain, from across the VA's various administrations. The bill mandates the appointment of at least four Program Executive Officers (PEOs) for key areas like medical and information technology, each responsible for supervising major acquisition programs. These PEOs and individual program managers, who must be project management certified, will report directly to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition. Program managers are tasked with developing comprehensive program baselines, managing risks, and ensuring compliance with cost, schedule, and performance requirements for programs exceeding specified cost thresholds. To bolster oversight and efficiency, the legislation establishes a Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation , reporting directly to the Secretary. This Director will develop cost estimation policies, conduct independent cost analyses for major acquisition programs, and evaluate program effectiveness, submitting annual reports to Congress. Furthermore, the VA is required to contract with independent entities for verification and validation services for major acquisition programs at various stages, ensuring unbiased assessment of design, requirements, and performance. The bill also addresses workforce development by prioritizing and expanding acquisition internship programs to meet future human capital needs. It mandates a systems engineering analysis of the VA's acquisition process by the Department of Defense Acquisition Research Center, with findings reported to Congress. Finally, it requires the establishment of a standardized, data-driven requirements development process for major acquisition programs, incorporating stakeholder input and iterative validation to define and confirm mission-driven needs.