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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2257 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2257

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the number of 
benefits claims representatives employed by the Department of Veterans 
 Affairs, and to ensure that there are not fewer than two such claims 
      representatives located at each center for the provision of 
readjustment counseling and related mental health services established 
under section 1712A of title 38, United States Code (commonly referred 
 to as a ``vet center''), to help reduce the backlog of claims pending 
                with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 9, 2007

Mr. Welch of Vermont introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the number of 
benefits claims representatives employed by the Department of Veterans 
 Affairs, and to ensure that there are not fewer than two such claims 
      representatives located at each center for the provision of 
readjustment counseling and related mental health services established 
under section 1712A of title 38, United States Code (commonly referred 
 to as a ``vet center''), to help reduce the backlog of claims pending 
                with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVES TO BE LOCATED AT VET CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall increase 
the number of benefits claims representatives employed by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs by a number that is not fewer than two 
such representatives for each center for the provision of readjustment 
counseling and related mental health services established under section 
1712A of title 38, United States Code (in this Act referred to as a 
``vet center''). The Secretary shall ensure that there are not fewer 
than two benefits claims representatives located at each vet center.
    (b) Qualifications.--The Secretary shall ensure that benefits 
claims representatives employed by the Department shall, at a minimum, 
have adequate knowledge of the benefits claims process in order to--
            (1) receive applications for benefits from veterans;
            (2) assist veterans in preparing and submitting such 
        applications;
            (3) assess the need for and inform veterans of additional 
        documents or information required to be provided by the 
        veterans with respect to such applications; and
            (4) inform veterans of the status of such submitted 
        applications.
    (c) Additional Resources.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary shall direct additional 
resources to more hours of social worker and mental health time, more 
staff to keep vet centers open longer hours, and the provision of links 
to job centers and training.
    (d) Deadline.--The Secretary shall implement the requirements of 
subsection (a) as soon as practicable and not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (e) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and every year thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report containing the following information:
            (1) The effect of the additional claims representatives 
        located at vet centers on the claims backlog.
            (2) The caseloads of such additional claims 
        representatives.
            (3) The estimated claims backlog at the time of the report.
            (4) Recommendations to further reduce the claims backlog 
        and otherwise facilitate the claims process.
                                 <all>
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