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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5325 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

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.

    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 ``Veterans Claims Education Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. PROMOTION OF ASSISTANCE FROM PERSONS RECOGNIZED BY THE 
              SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO FILE 
              CERTAIN CLAIMS UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY.

    (a) Notice to Claimants of Available Assistance From Recognized 
Persons.--Section 5103A of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as 
        subsections (i) through (k), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new 
        subsections:
    ``(g) Notice Regarding Availability of Representation by Accredited 
Persons.--Upon receipt of an initial claim by a claimant not 
represented by an accredited person, the Secretary shall provide notice 
to the claimant that--
            ``(1) an accredited person may be able to represent the 
        claimant;
            ``(2) a veterans service organization recognized under 
        section 5902 of this title may represent the claimant at no 
        charge to the claimant;
            ``(3) provides the website address of the online tool 
        maintained under subsection (h); and
            ``(4) provides the website address of an appropriate and 
        publicly accessible website of the Department through which a 
        claimant may report--
                    ``(A) a person, who is not an accredited person, 
                who represented the claimant; and
                    ``(B) any fee charged by such person for such 
                representation.
    ``(h) Online Listing of Accredited Persons.--(1) The Secretary 
shall maintain an online tool that allows a claimant to search a list 
of accredited persons who represent claimants.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that such list is current at least 
once each calendar quarter.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that such tool is easily 
accessible to a claimant.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(l) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `accredited person' means--
                    ``(A) a veterans service organization recognized 
                under section 5902 of this title; or
                    ``(B) an attorney, agent, or other person 
                recognized under section 5904 of this title.
            ``(2) The term `represent' means to prepare, present, or 
        prosecute a claim under a law administered by the Secretary on 
        behalf of a claimant.''.
    (b) Online Information Regarding Persons That Assist Claimants.--
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include, in each website portal 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs, through which an individual may 
file a claim for a benefit administered by the Under Secretary for 
Benefits or the Under Secretary for Health, a warning regarding fees an 
agent or attorney may charge such individual for assistance in filing 
such claim. Such warning shall include the following:
            (1) A link to the online maintained under subsection (h) of 
        section 5103A of such title, as amended by subsection (a).
            (2) A link to the website of the Department described in 
        subparagraph (D) of section 5103A(f)(1) of such title, as 
        amended by subsection (a).
    (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
            (1) complete a review the regulations, processes, and 
        procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs that pertain 
        to recognition under section 5904 of title 38, United States 
        Code;
            (2) develop recommendations for legislative or 
        administrative action to improve such regulations, processes, 
        and procedures; and
            (3) submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives a report containing the findings of the 
        Secretary with respect to the review completed under paragraph 
        (1) and the recommendations developed under paragraph (2).
                                 <all>
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