I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6165 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain actions to 

improve the processing by the Department of Veterans Affairs of claims 

for disability compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2021 

Mr. NEGUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain 

actions to improve the processing by the Department 

of Veterans Affairs of claims for disability compensation 

for post-traumatic stress disorder, 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 ‘‘Department of Vet5 erans Affairs Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Processing 

6 Claims Improvement Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IMPROVING PROCESSING BY DEPARTMENT OF VET2 ERANS AFFAIRS OF DISABILITY CLAIMS FOR 

3 POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. 

4 (a) TRAINING FOR CLAIMS PROCESSORS WHO HAN5 DLE CLAIMS RELATING TO POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS

6 DISORDER.— 

7 (1) UPDATE TRAINING PROGRAMS.—Not later 

8 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 

9 this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, act10 ing through the Under Secretary for Benefits, up11 date an ongoing, national training program for 

12 claims processors who review claims for compensa13 tion for service-connected post-traumatic stress dis14 order. 

15 (2) PARTICIPATION REQUIRED.—Beginning on 

16 the date that is 180 days after the date of the enact17 ment of this Act, the Secretary shall require that 

18 each claims processor described in paragraph (1) 

19 participates in the training established under para20 graph (1) at least once each year beginning in the 

21 second year in which the claims processor carries out 

22 the duties of the claims processor for the Depart23 ment. 

24 (3) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—The training estab25 lished under paragraph (1) shall include instruction 

26 on stressor development and verification. 


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1 (b) STANDARDIZATION OF TRAINING AT REGIONAL

2 OFFICES.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 

3 enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the 

4 Under Secretary, shall standardize the training provided 

5 at regional offices of the Veterans Benefits Administration 

6 to the employees of such regional offices. 

7 (c) FORMAL PROCESS FOR CONDUCT OF ANNUAL

8 ANALYSIS OF TRENDS.—Not later than 180 days after the 

9 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting 

10 through the Under Secretary, shall establish a formal 

11 process to analyze, on an annual basis, training needs 

12 based on identified processing error trends. 

13 (d) FORMAL PROCESS FOR CONDUCT OF ANNUAL

14 STUDIES.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

16 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec17 retary, acting through the Under Secretary, shall es18 tablish a formal process to conduct, on an annual 

19 basis, studies to help guide the national training 

20 program established under subsection (a)(1). 

21 (2) ELEMENTS.—Each study conducted under 

22 paragraph (1) shall cover the following: 

23 (A) Military post-traumatic stress disorder 

24 stressors. 


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1 (B) Decision-making claims for claims 

2 processors. 

3 (e) ANNUAL UPDATES TO POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS

4 DISORDER PROCEDURAL GUIDANCE.—Not later than 180 

5 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and not 

6 less frequently than once each year thereafter, the Sec7 retary, acting through the Under Secretary, shall evaluate 

8 the guidance relating to post-traumatic stress disorder to 

9 determine if updates are warranted to provide claims proc10 essors of the Department with better resources regarding 

11 best practices for claims processing, including specific 

12 guidance regarding development of claims involving com13 pensation for service-connected post-traumatic stress dis14 order. 

Æ 


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