according to rep. coffman, who sponsored the bill, the legislation is the result of an investigation by the house veterans' affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations which determined that the va was "exercising too much control over the research advisory committee on gulf war illnesses (rac)" and was "denying their ability to effectively and independently carry out its congressionally mandated role to improve the lives of gulf war veterans." the investigation found the misappropriation of funds, the placement of biased members in the rac, and restrictions on rac reports to keep them from circulating.