116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4183 
AN ACT 
To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to 
conduct a study on disability and pension benefits pro-
vided to members of the National Guard and members 
of reserve components of the Armed Forces by the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Identifying Barriers 
and Best Practices Study Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY ON DISABILITY 
AND PENSION BENEFITS PROVIDED TO MEM-
BERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND MEM-
BERS OF RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE 
ARMED FORCES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 36 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall complete a study on 
disability and pension benefits provided to members of the 
National Guard and members of reserve components of 
the Armed Forces by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
In conducting such study, the Comptroller General shall 
review, for the period beginning on January 1, 2008, and 
ending on December 31, 2018, each of the following: 
(1) The number of members of the National 
Guard and the number of members of reserve com-
ponents of the Armed Forces who received disability 
compensation or pension provided by the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs. 
(2) A comparison of each of the following be-
tween veterans who served only in the National 
Guard or reserve components and veterans who
served in the regular components of the Armed 
Forces: 
(A) The percentage of each group of such 
veterans with service-connected disabilities. 
(B) The number of veterans in each group 
with each disability rating. 
(C) The number of veterans in each group 
with a service-connected disability, including the 
number of each of the following types of such 
veterans in each group: 
(i) Pilots. 
(ii) Veterans who served in the special 
forces. 
(iii) Veterans who participated in the 
Personnel Reliability Program. 
(iv) Veterans who underwent diving or 
flight physicals as a regular component of 
their service in the Armed Forces and who 
have a muscular-skeletal or mental health 
condition. 
(D) The number of total claims for dis-
ability compensation and pension submitted, ap-
proved, and disapproved for each group of vet-
erans.
(3) An identification of common barriers for 
members of the National Guard and members of re-
serve components in obtaining disability benefits 
under the laws administered by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs, including barriers relating to docu-
mentation of injuries incurred while serving, such as 
line of duty letters. 
(b) REPORTS.— 
(1) PRELIMINARY REPORT.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Comptroller General shall submit to the Commit-
tees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House 
of Representatives a preliminary report on the find-
ings of the study required by subsection (a). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Upon completion of the 
study, the Comptroller General shall submit to such 
Committees a final report on such study. 
Passed the House of Representatives December 17, 
2019. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 4183 
AN ACT 
To direct the Comptroller General of the United 
States to conduct a study on disability and pen-
sion benefits provided to members of the Na-
tional Guard and members of reserve components 
of the Armed Forces by the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, and for other purposes.