I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1286 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement 
with a federally funded research and development center for an assess-
ment of forms that the Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under 
laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 13, 2025 
Mr. BRESNAHAN (for himself, Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina, Mr. BOST, Mr. 
PANETTA, Mr. VALADAO, and Mr. HARDER of California) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter 
into an agreement with a federally funded research and 
development center for an assessment of forms that the 
Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under laws 
administered by the Secretary, 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 ‘‘Simplifying Forms for 
Veterans Claims Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF FORMS 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 Vet-
erans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with 
an FFRDC for an assessment of forms 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, made in consultation with 
covered entities, of such forms. The assessment shall in-
clude the recommendations of the FFRDC regarding how 
the Secretary may make such forms clearer to claimants 
and better organized. 
(c) REPORT; IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 90 
days after the Secretary receives the assessment under 
subsection (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 ad-
ministered by the Secretary. 
(d) DEADLINE
FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Sec-
retary shall complete the implementation of such rec-
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ommendations pursuant to subsection (c)(2) by not later 
than two years after the date on which the Secretary com-
mences such implementation. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘FFRDC’’ means a federally 
funded 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 
and survivors of veterans. 
(3) The term ‘‘claimant’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 5100 of title 38, United States 
Code. 
Æ 
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