I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5225 

To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

to jointly develop and implement an electronic personnel file system, 

and to jointly conduct a study on improving the access of veterans 

to files related to military service and veterans benefits, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 5, 2010 

Ms. TSONGAS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ 

Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs to jointly develop and implement an 

electronic personnel file system, and to jointly conduct 

a study on improving the access of veterans to files 

related to military service and veterans benefits, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Veterans’ 

3 Electronic Transition Services Act’’ or the ‘‘iVETS Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. IMPROVING VETERANS ACCESS TO RECORDS. 

5 (a) ACCESS TO PERSONNEL FILES.—Not later than 

6 one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

7 Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Af8 fairs shall jointly develop and implement a system allowing 

9 a veteran to securely and electronically access the official 

10 military personnel file of the veteran. 

11 (b) CENTRALIZED WEB PORTAL.— 

12 (1) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense and the 

13 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly conduct a 

14 study on establishing a veterans portal based on the 

15 knowledge online portals. 

16 (2) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The study under 

17 paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of the fol18 lowing: 

19 (A) Using the knowledge online portals as 

20 a model for establishing a veterans portal that 

21 includes a single sign-on system for email, per22 sonal profiles, organizational pages, directory 

23 services, file sharing, and message boards. 

24 (B) The ability of a veteran to use the vet25 erans portal to access the official military perVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:13 May 06, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5225.IH H5225

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1 sonnel file of the veteran, including form 214 of 

2 the Department of Defense. 

3 (C) The ability of a veteran to use the vet4 erans portal to— 

5 (i) file for compensation, educational 

6 assistance, and other veterans benefits; 

7 (ii) request medical care; and 

8 (iii) track the status of filings and re9 quests described by clause (i) and (ii). 

10 (D) The ability of a member of the Armed 

11 Forces who is retiring, being separated, or dis12 charged from the Armed Forces to transfer the 

13 knowledge online portal account of the member 

14 to the veterans portal. 

15 (E) Other matters that the Secretaries 

16 consider appropriate in establishing a veterans 

17 portal. 

18 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the 

19 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries 

20 shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional 

21 committees a report on the study under paragraph 

22 (1). 

23 (4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

24 (A) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional 

25 committees’’ means the following: 


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1 (i) The Committee on Armed Services 

2 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

3 the House of Representatives. 

4 (ii) The Committee on Armed Services 

5 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

6 the Senate. 

7 (B) The term ‘‘compensation’’ has the 

8 meaning given that term in section 101(13) of 

9 title 38, United States Code. 

10 (C) The term ‘‘knowledge online portal’’ 

11 means the Army Knowledge Online portal, the 

12 Defense Knowledge Online portal, or other 

13 similar Internet Web site established by the 

14 Secretary of Defense. 

15 (D) The term ‘‘veterans portal’’ means an 

16 Internet Web site that provides a veteran with 

17 a centralized, secure, and reliable method for 

18 accessing service records, health care records, 

19 and personalized information regarding com20 pensation, educational assistance, and other re21 lated benefits provided under title 38, United 

22 States Code. 

Æ 


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