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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1214

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an enhanced quality

assurance program within the Veterans Benefits Administration.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 23, 1999

Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. DOYLE, Ms.

CARSON, Mr. REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. SHOWS, Ms. BERKLEY, Ms.

MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms. DANNER, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. LAFALCE,

Mrs. KELLY, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr. OLVER, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. STENHOLM,

Mr. KLINK, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. FROST, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. FARR

of California, Mr. NORWOOD, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. SPRATT, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. DAVIS

of Florida, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. MURTHA, Ms. KILPATRICK, and Mr. LUTHER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an

enhanced quality assurance program within the Veterans

Benefits Administration.

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 Adju5 dication Improvement Act of 1999’’.
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1 SEC. 2. ENHANCED QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM WITH2 IN THE VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRA3 TION.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Chapter 77 of title 38, United

5 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol6 lowing new subchapter:

7 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—QUALITY ASSURANCE

8 ‘‘§ 7731. Establishment

9 ‘‘(a) The Secretary shall carry out a quality assur10 ance program in the Veterans Benefits Administration.

11 The program may be carried out through a single quality

12 assurance division in the Administration or through sepa13 rate quality assurance entities for each of the principal

14 organizational elements (known as ‘services’) of the Ad15 ministration.

16 ‘‘(b) The Secretary shall ensure that any quality as17 surance entity established and operated under subsection

18 (a) is established and operated so as to meet generally ap19 plicable governmental standards for independence and in20 ternal controls for the performance of quality reviews of

21 Government performance and results.

22 ‘‘§ 7732. Functions

23 ‘‘The Under Secretary for Benefits, acting through

24 the quality assurance entities established under section

25 7731(a), shall on an ongoing basis perform and oversee

26 quality reviews of the functions of each of the principal
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1 organizational elements of the Veterans Benefits Adminis2 tration.

3 ‘‘§ 7733. Personnel

4 ‘‘The Secretary shall ensure that the number of full5 time employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration

6 assigned to quality assurance functions under this sub7 chapter is adequate to perform the quality assurance func8 tions for which they have responsibility.

9 ‘‘§ 7734. Annual report to Congress

10 ‘‘The Secretary shall include in the annual report to

11 the Congress required by section 529 of this title a report

12 on the quality assurance activities carried out under this

13 subchapter. Each such report shall include—

14 ‘‘(1) an appraisal of the quality of services pro15 vided by the Veterans Benefits Administration,

16 including—

17 ‘‘(A) the number of decisions reviewed;

18 ‘‘(B) a summary of the findings on the de19 cisions reviewed;

20 ‘‘(C) the number of full-time equivalent

21 employees assigned to quality assurance in each

22 division or entity;

23 ‘‘(D) specific documentation of compliance

24 with the standards for independence and inter-
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1 nal control required by section 7731(b) of this

2 title; and

3 ‘‘(E) actions taken to improve the quality

4 of services provided and the results obtained;

5 ‘‘(2) information with respect to the accuracy of

6 decisions, including trends in that information; and

7 ‘‘(3) such other information as the Secretary

8 considers appropriate.’’.

9 (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such

10 chapter is amended by adding at the end the following

11 new items:

‘‘SUBCHAPTER III—QUALITY ASSURANCE

‘‘7731. Establishment.

‘‘7732. Functions.

‘‘7733. Personnel.

‘‘7734. Annual report to Congress.’’.

12 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subchapter III of chapter 77

13 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection

14 (a), shall take effect on the later of October 1, 1999, or

15 at the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date of

16 the enactment of this Act.

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