II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5325 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to promote assistance from persons 

recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for individuals who 

file certain claims under laws administered by the Secretary, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2024 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to promote assistance 

from persons recognized by the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs for individuals who file certain claims under laws 

administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Claims Edu5 cation Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROMOTION OF ASSISTANCE FROM PERSONS REC2 OGNIZED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS 

3 AFFAIRS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO FILE CER4 TAIN CLAIMS UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED 

5 BY THE SECRETARY. 

6 (a) NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS OF AVAILABLE ASSIST7 ANCE FROM RECOGNIZED PERSONS.—Section 5103A of 

8 title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) 

10 as subsections (i) through (k), respectively; 

11 (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol12 lowing new subsections: 

13 ‘‘(g) NOTICE REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF REP14 RESENTATION BY ACCREDITED PERSONS.—Upon receipt 

15 of an initial claim by a claimant not represented by an 

16 accredited person, the Secretary shall provide notice to the 

17 claimant that— 

18 ‘‘(1) an accredited person may be able to rep19 resent the claimant; 

20 ‘‘(2) a veterans service organization recognized 

21 under section 5902 of this title may represent the 

22 claimant at no charge to the claimant; 

23 ‘‘(3) provides the website address of the online 

24 tool maintained under subsection (h); and 


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1 ‘‘(4) provides the website address of an appro2 priate and publicly accessible website of the Depart3 ment through which a claimant may report— 

4 ‘‘(A) a person, who is not an accredited 

5 person, who represented the claimant; and 

6 ‘‘(B) any fee charged by such person for 

7 such representation. 

8 ‘‘(h) ONLINE LISTING OF ACCREDITED PERSONS.— 

9 (1) The Secretary shall maintain an online tool that allows 

10 a claimant to search a list of accredited persons who rep11 resent claimants. 

12 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that such list is cur13 rent at least once each calendar quarter. 

14 ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall ensure that such tool is eas15 ily accessible to a claimant.’’; and 

16 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub17 section: 

18 ‘‘(l) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

19 ‘‘(1) The term ‘accredited person’ means— 

20 ‘‘(A) a veterans service organization recog21 nized under section 5902 of this title; or 

22 ‘‘(B) an attorney, agent, or other person 

23 recognized under section 5904 of this title. 


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1 ‘‘(2) The term ‘represent’ means to prepare, 

2 present, or prosecute a claim under a law adminis3 tered by the Secretary on behalf of a claimant.’’. 

4 (b) ONLINE INFORMATION REGARDING PERSONS

5 THAT ASSIST CLAIMANTS.—The Secretary of Veterans 

6 Affairs shall include, in each website portal of the Depart7 ment of Veterans Affairs, through which an individual 

8 may file a claim for a benefit administered by the Under 

9 Secretary for Benefits or the Under Secretary for Health, 

10 a warning regarding fees an agent or attorney may charge 

11 such individual for assistance in filing such claim. Such 

12 warning shall include the following: 

13 (1) A link to the online maintained under sub14 section (h) of section 5103A of such title, as amend15 ed by subsection (a). 

16 (2) A link to the website of the Department de17 scribed in subparagraph (D) of section 5103A(f)(1) 

18 of such title, as amended by subsection (a). 

19 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

20 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 

21 (1) complete a review the regulations, processes, 

22 and procedures of the Department of Veterans Af23 fairs that pertain to recognition under section 5904 

24 of title 38, United States Code; 


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1 (2) develop recommendations for legislative or 

2 administrative action to improve such regulations, 

3 processes, and procedures; and 

4 (3) submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Af5 fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ 

6 Affairs of the House of Representatives a report 

7 containing the findings of the Secretary with respect 

8 to the review completed under paragraph (1) and 

9 the recommendations developed under paragraph 

10 (2). 

Æ 


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