Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clear Communication 
for Veterans Claims Act’’. 
SEC. 2. INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF NOTICES THAT THE 
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS SENDS 
TO CLAIMANTS. 
(a) AGREEMENT.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with an 
FFRDC for an assessment of notices that the Secretary 
sends to claimants. 
(b) ASSESSMENT.—An FFRDC that enters to an 
agreement under subsection (a) shall submit to the Sec-
retary a written assessment of such notices. The assessment 
shall include the following: 
(1) The determination of the FFRDC, made in 
consultation with covered entities, whether each such 
notice may be feasibly altered to reduce paper con-
sumption by, and costs to, the Federal Government. 
(2) The recommendations of the FFRDC regard-
ing how the Secretary may make such notices clearer 
to claimants, better organized, and more concise. 
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(c) REPORT; IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 90 
days after the Secretary receives the assessment under sub-
section (b), the Secretary shall— 
(1) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a 
copy of such assessment; and 
(2) implement the recommendations in the as-
sessment that are in compliance with the laws admin-
istered by the Secretary. 
(d) DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary 
shall complete the implementation of such recommendations 
pursuant to subsection (c)(2) by not later than one year 
after the date on which the Secretary commences such im-
plementation. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘FFRDC’’ means a federally fund-
ed research and development center. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered entities’’ includes— 
(A) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 
(B) an expert in laws administered by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 
(C) a veterans service organization recog-
nized under section 5902 of title 38, United 
States Code; and 
(D) an entity that advocates for veterans. 
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(3) The terms ‘‘claimant’’ and ‘‘notice’’ have the 
meanings given such terms in section 5100 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES. 
The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘November 15, 
2031’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘November 29, 
2031’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 477 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7816 
[Report No. 118–576] 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek 
to enter into an agreement with a federally fund-
ed research and development center for an as-
sessment of notice letters that the Secretary 
sends to claimants for benefits under laws ad-
ministered by the Secretary, and for other pur-
poses. 
JULY 8, 2024 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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