I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1226 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for the electronic request 
of certain records, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 28, 2023 
Mr. AGUILAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for the 
electronic request of certain records, 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 ‘‘Wounded Warrior Ac-
cess Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC REQUEST OF CERTAIN RECORDS 
MAINTAINED BY THE SECRETARY OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) ELECTRONIC RECORD REQUESTS.—Section 5702 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub-
section (c); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b)(1) The Secretary shall establish and maintain 
a secure website or online tool for a claimant or a duly 
recognized agent or representative of that claimant to sub-
mit an electronic request for such records. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary, upon receipt of a valid request 
made through the website or online tool established under 
paragraph (1), shall provide to the requestor— 
‘‘(A) not later than 10 days after receipt, con-
firmation of such receipt; and 
‘‘(B) not later than 120 days after receipt, such 
records requested in the form selected by the re-
questor.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 5702(a) 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘in writing’’ and inserting ‘‘in writing, in-
cluding an electronic request submitted through the 
website or online tool established under subsection 
(b),’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
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(3) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) the format in which such copy is desired, 
including 
whether 
in 
printed 
form 
or 
by 
downloadable file.’’. 
(c) DEADLINE; ESTABLISHMENT OF WEBSITE OR 
ONLINE TOOL.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall establish the website or online tool required 
under section 5702(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by this Act, and, to the extent practicable, the 
Secretary shall utilize existing online resources of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of such es-
tablishment. 
SEC. 3. WARNINGS TO CLAIMANTS UNDER LAWS ADMINIS-
TERED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS 
REGARDING 
UNRECOGNIZED 
REP-
RESENTATIVES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5901 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ before 
‘‘Except’’; 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
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‘‘(b) WARNINGS ABOUT POTENTIAL PREDATORY 
PRACTICES.—(1) The Secretary shall ensure that, each 
time a claimant under a law administered by the Secretary 
logs in to a website or online tool of the Department, such 
website or online tool issues to the claimant, in plain lan-
guage— 
‘‘(A) a warning about individuals who seek to 
act in violation of this chapter; 
‘‘(B) a link to an online tool of the Department 
through which the claimant may report such an indi-
vidual; 
‘‘(C) a link to an online tool of the Department 
through which the claimant may search for a recog-
nized agent, attorney, or other entity recognized by 
the Secretary for the preparation, presentation, or 
prosecution of any claim under laws administered by 
the Secretary; and 
‘‘(D) a link to a website or an online tool of the 
Department providing final decisions on discipline of 
agents, attorneys, and entities, described in subpara-
graph (C), by the Secretary for violations of this 
chapter. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall provide all information 
under paragraph (1) in the following languages: 
‘‘(A) English. 
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‘‘(B) Spanish. 
‘‘(C) Tagalog. 
‘‘(D) The seven other languages most com-
monly spoken in the United States.’’. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out subsection (b) of such section, as 
added by subsection (a) of this section— 
(1) after consulting with stakeholders (including 
veterans service organizations recognized under sec-
tion 5902 of such title) regarding the wording of the 
warning under such subsection; and 
(2) not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED. 
No additional funds are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out the requirements of this Act. Such 
requirements shall be carried out using amounts otherwise 
authorized to be appropriated. 
Æ 
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