I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9020 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expedite the processing of 

claims for disability compensation by veterans affected by major disasters. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 17, 2020 

Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Miss RICE of New 

York, Mrs. AXNE, Mr. STEUBE, and Ms. SHERRILL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expedite the 

processing of claims for disability compensation by veterans affected by major disasters. 

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 ‘‘Priority Response for 

5 Veterans Impacted by Disasters and Emergencies Act’’ or 

6 the ‘‘PROVIDE Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs sets 

2 forth criteria for priority processing of veterans’ dis3 ability claims by the Department. 

4 (2) Such criteria include veterans affected by 

5 extreme financial hardship, homelessness, terminal 

6 illness, and participants in the Department’s Fully 

7 Developed Claim program. 

8 (3) Currently there is no process in place to 

9 prioritize the disability claims of veterans affected by 

10 major disasters such as fires and floods. 

11 (4) Priority claims processing for veterans af12 fected by major disasters will significantly help such 

13 veterans begin rebuilding their lives. 

14 SEC. 3. PRIORITY CLAIMS PROCESSING IN THE EVENT OF A 

15 MAJOR DISASTER. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall prescribe reg17 ulations setting forth criteria for priority processing of a 

18 claim for compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, 

19 United States Code. Individuals whose claim shall be eligi20 ble for such priority processing shall include— 

21 (1) veterans affected by extreme financial hard22 ship; 

23 (2) veterans affected by homelessness; 

24 (3) veterans diagnosed with a terminal illness; 


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1 (4) participants in the Department of Veterans 

2 Affairs Fully Developed Claim program; and 

3 (5) veterans who live in an area for which the 

4 President has declared a major disaster under sec5 tion 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 

6 and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170). 

7 (b) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CLAIMS PROC8 ESSING IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR DISASTER.—The Sec9 retary shall prescribe additional regulations relating only 

10 to subsection (a)(5). Such additional regulations include— 

11 (1) establishing flexible evidence requirements 

12 for veterans unable to meet the ordinary evidence re13 quirements for such a claim due to a major disaster; 

14 and 

15 (2) establishing a flexible filing deadline for 

16 such a claim. 

17 (c) NOTICE TO VETERANS OF ELIGIBILITY FOR PRI18 ORITY CLAIMS PROCESSING.—Not later than 60 days 

19 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

20 post a permanent notice to veterans on the Department 

21 of Veterans Affairs website of the categories of eligibility 

22 for priority processing of such claims, including the 

23 changes to such categories made pursuant to subsection 

24 (a). 

Æ 


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