(1) accountability for claims adjudication out-
comes; 
(2) the quality of claims adjudicated; 
(3) a simplified process to adjudicate claims; 
(4) the maximum use of information technology 
applications; 
(5) rules-based applications and tools for proc-
essing and adjudicating claims efficiently and effec-
tively; and 
(6) methods of reducing the time required to 
obtain information from outside sources. 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted 
under this section. 
SEC. 105. CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES 
OF VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION 
RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING CLAIMS. 
(a) EMPLOYEE CERTIFICATION REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 77 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 7735. Employee certification 
‘‘(a) DEVELOPMENT OF CERTIFICATION EXAMINA-
TION.—The Secretary shall develop a certification exam-
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ination for appropriate employees and managers of the 
Veterans Benefits Administration who are responsible for 
processing claims for benefits under the laws administered 
by the Secretary. The Secretary shall develop such exam-
ination in consultation with examination development ex-
perts, interested stakeholders, including such appropriate 
employees, employee representatives, and managers, and 
appropriate public and private entities, including veterans 
service organizations and other service organizations. 
‘‘(b) EMPLOYEE AND MANAGER REQUIREMENT.— 
The Secretary shall require appropriate employees and 
managers of the Veterans Benefits Administration who 
are responsible for processing claims for benefits under 
the laws administered by the Secretary to take a certifi-
cation examination. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not satisfy 
any requirement of this section through the use of any 
certification examination or program that exists as of the 
date of the enactment of the Veterans Disability Benefits 
Claims Modernization Act of 2008.’’. 
(2) DEADLINES
FOR
IMPLEMENTATION.—The 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 
(A) develop the certification examination 
required to be developed under section 7735 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by sub-
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section (a), by not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act; and 
(B) implement procedures for admin-
istering the certification of employees under 
such section and begin administering the certifi-
cation examination required under such section 
by not later than 90 days after the date on 
which the development of such certification ex-
amination is complete. 
(3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is further 
amended by adding at the end of the items relating 
to subchapter II the following new item: 
‘‘7735. Employee certification.’’. 
(b) EVALUATION OF TRAINING.— 
(1) EVALUATION REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall enter into a contract with a 
private entity with experience evaluating training 
processes, continuing education needs, and central-
ized training requirements, under which that entity 
shall— 
(A) conduct an evaluation of the items re-
quired to be included in the annual report of 
the Secretary under section 7734 of title 38, 
United States Code, that were included in the 
last such report submitted before the date of 
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the enactment of this Act, that relate to the 
training and performance assessment programs 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs for em-
ployees of the Veterans Benefits Administration 
who are responsible for matters relating to com-
pensation or pension benefits under the laws 
administered by the Secretary; and 
(B) not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, submit to the Sec-
retary the results of such evaluation. 
(2) SUBMISSION OF RESULTS TO CONGRESS.— 
The Secretary shall include the results of the evalua-
tion required under paragraph (1) with the first an-
nual report required to be submitted to Congress 
under section 529 of title 38, United States Code, 
submitted after the date on which the Secretary re-
ceives such results. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date on which the Secretary submits the report 
referred to in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report on any actions the Sec-
retary has taken or plans to take in response to the 
results of the evaluation required under paragraph 
(1). 
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SEC. 106. ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ANNUAL ASSESSMENT REQUIRED.—Section 7731 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c)(1) The Secretary shall enter into a contract with 
an independent third-party entity for the conduct of an 
annual assessment of the quality assurance program 
under this section. Each such assessment shall— 
‘‘(A) evaluate a statistically valid sample of em-
ployees of the Veterans Benefits Administration and 
a statistically valid sample of the work product of 
such employees to assess the quality and accuracy of 
such work product; 
‘‘(B) measure the performance of each regional 
office of the Veterans Benefits Administration; 
‘‘(C) measure the accuracy of the disability rat-
ings assigned under the schedule for rating disabil-
ities under section 1155 of this title; 
‘‘(D) compare disability ratings and evaluate 
consistency between regional offices; 
‘‘(E) assess the performance of employees and 
managers of the Veterans Benefits Administration; 
and 
‘‘(F) produce automated categorizable data to 
help identify trends. 
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‘‘(2) The Secretary shall use information gathered 
through the annual assessments required under this sec-
tion in developing the employee certification required 
under section 7735 of this title. 
‘‘(3) Nothing in this subsection shall require the Sec-
retary to replace the quality assurance program under this 
section, as in effect on the date of the enactment of the 
Veterans Disability Benefits Claims Modernization Act of 
2008.’’. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Section 7734 of such 
title is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para-
graph (4); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing new paragraph (3): 
‘‘(3) the results and findings of the most recent 
annual assessment conducted under section 7731(c) 
of this title; and’’. 
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SEC. 107. EXPEDITED TREATMENT OF FULLY DEVELOPED 
CLAIMS AND REQUIREMENT FOR CHECKLIST 
TO BE PROVIDED TO INDIVIDUALS SUBMIT-
TING INCOMPLETE CLAIMS. 
(a) EXPEDITED TREATMENT OF FULLY DEVELOPED 
CLAIMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 51 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 5109C. Expedited treatment of fully developed 
claims 
‘‘(a) EXPEDITED TREATMENT REQUIRED.—The Sec-
retary shall take such actions as may be necessary to pro-
vide for the expeditious treatment by the appropriate re-
gional office of the Veterans Benefits Administration of 
any fully developed claim to ensure that any such claim 
is adjudicated not later than 90 days after the date on 
which the claim is submitted. 
‘‘(b) NOTICE OF REQUIRED INFORMATION AND EVI-
DENCE.—Nothing in this section shall affect the responsi-
bility of the Secretary to provide notice under section 5103 
to a claimant and a claimant’s representative of required 
information and evidence that is necessary to substantiate 
a fully developed claim. 
‘‘(c) FULLY DEVELOPED CLAIM DEFINED.—For 
purposes of this section, the term ‘fully developed claim’ 
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means a claim for a benefit under a law administered by 
the Secretary— 
‘‘(1) for which the claimant— 
‘‘(A) received assistance from a veterans 
service officer, a State or county veterans serv-
ice officer, an agent, or an attorney; or 
‘‘(B) submits along with the claim an ap-
propriate indication that the claimant does not 
intend to submit any additional information in 
support of the claim and does not require addi-
tional assistance with respect to the claim; and 
‘‘(2) for which the claimant submits a certifi-
cation in writing that is signed by the claimant stat-
ing that at the time of signature, no additional in-
formation is available or needs to be submitted in 
order for the claim to be adjudicated.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by adding at the end of the items relating to sub-
chapter I the following new item: 
‘‘5109C. Expedited treatment of fully developed claims.’’. 
(3) DEADLINES
FOR
IMPLEMENTATION.—By 
not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish a process for expediting claims under 
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section 5109C of title 38, United States Code, as 
added by paragraph (1). 
(b) PROVISION OF CHECKLIST TO INDIVIDUALS SUB-
MITTING INCOMPLETE CLAIMS.— 
(1) CHECKLIST.—Section 5103 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub-
section (c); and 
(B) by inserting after subsection (a) the 
following new subsection (b): 
‘‘(b) PROVISION OF CHECKLIST.—In providing notice 
of required information and evidence to a claimant and 
a claimant’s representative, if any, under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall provide to the claimant and any such 
representative a checklist that includes a detailed descrip-
tion of information or evidence required to be submitted 
by the claimant to substantiate the claim.’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (b) of sec-
tion 5103 of title 38, United States Code, as added 
by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to notice 
provided after the date that is one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
(3) DEADLINE
FOR
CREATION
OF
CHECK-
LIST.—By not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
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Affairs shall create the checklist required under such 
subsection, as so added. 
(4) SUBMITTAL TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 
60 days after the Secretary creates the checklist re-
quired by such subsection, as so added, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress the checklist. 
SEC. 108. STUDY AND REPORT ON EMPLOYING MEDICAL 
PROFESSIONALS TO ASSIST EMPLOYEES OF 
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct a study to evaluate the need of the Veterans Ben-
efits Administration of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs to employ, in addition to medical professionals of the 
Veterans Health Administration, medical professionals, in-
cluding medical professionals who are not physicians, to 
act as a medical reference for employees of the Adminis-
tration so that such employees may accurately assess med-
ical evidence submitted in support of claims for benefits 
under laws administered by the Secretary. In no case shall 
any such medical professional be employed to rate any dis-
ability or evaluate any claim. In conducting the study, the 
Secretary shall conduct statistically significant surveys of 
employees of the Administration to ascertain whether, 
how, and to what degree medical professionals could pro-
vide assistance to such employees. 
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(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted 
under subsection (a). 
(c) ACCESS TO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.—If the 
Secretary hires medical professionals pursuant to the 
study conducted under this section, the Secretary shall en-
sure that employees employed by all regional offices of the 
Veterans Benefits Administration have access to such 
medical professionals. 
SEC. 109. ASSIGNMENT OF PARTIAL DISABILITY RATINGS 
TO QUALIFYING VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 11 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1155 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1156. Partial disability ratings 
‘‘(a) ASSIGNMENT OF PARTIAL RATINGS.—For the 
purpose of providing disability compensation under this 
chapter to a qualifying veteran, the Secretary shall assign 
a partial disability rating to the veteran as follows: 
‘‘(1) In the case of a qualifying veteran de-
scribed in subsection (b)(3)(A), a rating of 100 per-
cent. 
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