H. R. 1226 

One Hundred Eighteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-three 

An Act 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for the electronic request of 

certain records, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wounded Warrior Access Act’’. 

SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC REQUEST OF CERTAIN RECORDS MAINTAINED 

BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

(a) ELECTRONIC RECORD REQUESTS.—Section 5702 of title 38, 

United States Code, is amended— 

(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and 

(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: 

‘‘(b)(1) The Secretary shall establish and maintain a secure 

website or online tool for a claimant or a duly recognized agent 

or representative of that claimant to submit an electronic request 

for such records. 

‘‘(2) The Secretary, upon receipt of a valid request made through 

the website or online tool established under paragraph (1), shall 

provide to the requestor— 

‘‘(A) not later than 10 days after receipt, confirmation of 

such receipt; and 

‘‘(B) not later than 120 days after receipt, such records 

requested in the form selected by the requestor.’’. 

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 5702(a) of title 38, 

United States Code, is amended— 

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘in 

writing’’ and inserting ‘‘in writing, including an electronic 

request submitted through the website or online tool established 

under subsection (b),’’; 

(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(3) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end 

and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(3) the format in which such copy is desired, including 

whether in printed form or by downloadable file.’’. 

(c) DEADLINE; ESTABLISHMENT OF WEBSITE OR ONLINE TOOL.— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish the website 

or online tool required under section 5702(b)(1) of title 38, United 

States Code, as added by this Act, and, to the extent practicable, 

the Secretary shall utilize existing online resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of such establishment. 
H. R. 1226—2 

SEC. 3. WARNINGS TO CLAIMANTS UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED BY 

THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REGARDING 

UNRECOGNIZED REPRESENTATIVES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5901 of title 38, United States Code, 

is amended— 

(1) by inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ before ‘‘Except’’; 

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

‘‘(b) WARNINGS ABOUT POTENTIAL PREDATORY PRACTICES.—(1) 

The Secretary shall ensure that, each time a claimant under a 

law administered by the Secretary logs in to a website or online 

tool of the Department, such website or online tool issues to the 

claimant, in plain language— 

‘‘(A) a warning about individuals who seek to act in violation of this chapter; 

‘‘(B) a link to an online tool of the Department through 

which the claimant may report such an individual; 

‘‘(C) a link to an online tool of the Department through 

which the claimant may search for a recognized agent, attorney, 

or other entity recognized by the Secretary for the preparation, 

presentation, or prosecution of any claim under laws administered by the Secretary; and 

‘‘(D) a link to a website or an online tool of the Department 

providing final decisions on discipline of agents, attorneys, and 

entities, described in subparagraph (C), by the Secretary for 

violations of this chapter. 

‘‘(2) The Secretary shall provide all information under paragraph (1) in the following languages: 

‘‘(A) English. 

‘‘(B) Spanish. 

‘‘(C) Tagalog. 

‘‘(D) The seven other languages most commonly spoken 

in the United States.’’. 

(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

carry out subsection (b) of such section, as added by subsection 

(a) of this section— 

(1) after consulting with stakeholders (including veterans 

service organizations recognized under section 5902 of such 

title) regarding the wording of the warning under such subsection; and 

(2) not later than one year after the date of the enactment 

of this Act. 
H. R. 1226—3 

SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED. 

No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry 

out the requirements of this Act. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.