Veterans Benefits Improvement Act

Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1530 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1530

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the requirement to 
    publish disability benefit questionnaire forms of Department of 
               Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 10, 2023

  Mr. Luttrell (for himself and Mr. Pappas) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the requirement to 
    publish disability benefit questionnaire forms of Department of 
               Veterans Affairs, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Benefits Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING REQUIREMENT TO PUBLISH DISABILITY BENEFIT 
              QUESTIONNAIRE FORMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    Section 5101(d) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``, including (except 
        as provided in paragraph (4)(A)) all disability benefit 
        questionnaire forms available to personnel of the Veterans 
        Health Administration and contracted personnel for the 
        completion of compensation and pension examinations'' before 
        the semicolon; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(4)(A) The Secretary may exclude from publication under clauses 
(i) and (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) any form described in subparagraph (B) 
of this paragraph that the Secretary determines could not reasonably be 
completed to a clinically acceptable standard by someone not an 
employee or a contractor of the Department.
    ``(B) A form described in this subparagraph is a form that--
            ``(i) was in effect after January 1, 2022; and
            ``(ii) has not been published under paragraph (1).
    ``(C) For each form excluded under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
shall--
            ``(i) list the form on the same internet website as the 
        forms published under paragraph (1)(A) with an indication that 
        the form has been excluded; and
            ``(ii) provide with such listing a justification for such 
        exclusion.''.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON IMPROVING MEDICAL DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS FOR 
              VETERANS WHO LIVE ABROAD.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, after consulting with the 
Secretary of State and the Commissioner of the Social Security 
Administration, shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report on the efforts of the Secretary to provide 
reimbursement for a veteran's travel to a facility of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs or a facility of a Department-contracted provider, 
regardless of whether the facility is inside or outside the United 
States, when such travel is incident to a scheduled compensation and 
pension examination.

SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REQUIREMENT FOR COMMUNICATION BY 
              CONTRACTORS PROVIDING COVERED MEDICAL DISABILITY 
              EXAMINATIONS WITH PERSONS APPOINTED BY A POWER OF 
              ATTORNEY FOR PREPARATION, PRESENTATION, AND PROSECUTION 
              OF CLAIMS.

    (a) In General.--In each contract entered into by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs after the date of the enactment of this Act for the 
provision by a contractor of a covered medical disability examination, 
the Secretary shall include a requirement that every communication from 
a contractor to a claimant regarding the scheduling of a covered 
medical disability examination be contemporaneously transmitted to the 
person or organization appointed by a power of attorney executed under 
sections 5902, 5903, and 5904 of title 38, United States Code, for the 
preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims.
    (b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``covered medical 
disability examination'' means a medical examination that the Secretary 
determines necessary for the purposes of adjudicating a benefit under 
chapter 11 or 15 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 5. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OUTREACH REGARDING CONTACT 
              INFORMATION FOR CONTRACTORS PROVIDING COVERED MEDICAL 
              DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, in partnership with veterans 
service organizations and such other stakeholders as the Secretary 
considers relevant and appropriate, implement an informative outreach 
program for veterans regarding the following:
            (1) Contact information for contractors providing covered 
        medical disability examinations, including the telephone 
        numbers from which such contractors may contact veterans.
            (2) The requirement for veterans to provide personally 
        identifiable information when contacted by such contractors in 
        order to verify their identity.

SEC. 6. REPORT ON SUPPORTING GOVERNMENTAL VETERANS SERVICE OFFICERS.

    (a) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and after consulting veterans service 
organizations and such other stakeholders as the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs considers relevant and appropriate, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on 
improving the support by the Department of Veterans Affairs of 
governmental veterans service officers.
    (b) Elements.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) An assessment of the feasibility, advisability, and 
        current technical limitations of providing governmental 
        veterans service officers enhanced access to certain Department 
        systems to better serve veterans those governmental service 
        officers may not have authorization to represent.
            (2) An assessment as to whether the Department would 
        benefit from the establishment or designation of an office or 
        working group within the Department to serve as an 
        intergovernmental liaison between the Department and 
        governmental veterans service officers.
            (3) Any other recommendations to improve how the Department 
        monitors, coordinates with, or provides support to governmental 
        veterans service officers.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``governmental veterans service officer'' 
        means an employee of a State, county, municipal, or Tribal 
        government--
                    (A) who is recognized by the Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs as a representative of a veterans service 
                organization to serve as a veterans service officer; 
                and
                    (B) whose primary responsibilities include 
                preparing, presenting, and prosecuting benefit claims 
                before the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) The term ``veterans service organization'' means an 
        organization recognized by the Secretary for the representation 
        of veterans under section 5902 of title 38, United States Code.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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