To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality assurance program of the Veterans Benefits Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality assurance program of the Veterans Benefits Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 1. Improvements to quality assurance program (a) Plan for oversight (1) Requirement Section 7731 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (d) (1) The Secretary shall— (A) develop and carry out a plan to strengthen oversight of the quality assurance program carried out under subsection (a); and (B) monitor the implementation of the plan to address any deficiencies that the Secretary identifies. (2) On an annual basis during the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the implementation of the plan under paragraph (1). . (2) Submission of plan Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate the plan developed under subsection (d) of section 7731 of title 38, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1), and a description of the progress the Secretary has made to implement such plan. (b) Recurring deficiencies (1) Identification and corrective actions Section 7732 of such title is amended— (A) by striking The Under (a) The Under (B) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (b) (1) In carrying out subsection (a) with respect to quality reviews (including site visits) relating to disability compensation, on an annual basis, the Under Secretary shall compile a list of common recurring deficiencies and action items identified each year. (2) The Under Secretary shall develop and carry out a plan to address the recurring deficiencies and action items identified under paragraph (1). . (2) Inclusion in annual reports Section 7734 of such title is amended— (A) in paragraph (2), by striking and (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraph: (3) the list of common recurring deficiencies and action items identified under section 7732(b)(1) of this title; and . (c) GAO study (1) Requirement The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a feasibility study of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs entering into a contract with a nongovernmental entity to carry out the quality assurance program under section 7731 of title 38, United States Code. The study shall include the following: (A) A review of common deficiencies of the program as of the date of the study. (B) Identification of both the costs and cost savings regarding a nongovernmental entity carrying out the program. (C) A discussion regarding how having a nongovernmental entity carry out the program may— (i) address the deficiencies identified under subparagraph (A); and (ii) improve the overall accuracy and timeliness of claims submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs. (2) Submission Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate the study under paragraph (1).

Summary: This bill implements oversight procedures related to quality assurance in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill requires the VA to implement a plan to strengthen oversight of the quality assurance program in the VBA. The VA must monitor the plan to address any deficiencies. The VBA must annually compile a list of common recurring deficiencies and action items relating to disability compensation identified in its ongoing reviews of the functions of each of its principal organizational elements. Additionally, the VBA must develop and carry out a plan to address the recurring deficiencies and action items. The Government Accountability Office must conduct a feasibility study of the VA entering a contract with a nongovernmental entity to carry out the quality assurance program in the VBA.