Sec. 2. Limitation on payment of bonuses until the resolution of the backlog 
of disability claims. 
Sec. 3. Evaluation of backlog of disability claims and appeals of claims of De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 4. Supplemental reports to the Strategic Plan to Eliminate the Compensa-
tion Claims Backlog. 
Sec. 5. Expedition of transfer of certain records. 
Sec. 6. Claims processors training. 
Sec. 7. Report by Comptroller General of the United States. 
Sec. 8. Priority for processing claims of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 9. Public availability of certain information about pending and completed 
claims for compensation under the laws administered by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
Sec. 10. Annual report on processing of claims. 
Sec. 11. Department of Veterans Affairs notice of average times for processing 
claims and percentage of claims approved. 
Sec. 12. Claim defined. 
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON PAYMENT OF BONUSES UNTIL THE 
RESOLUTION OF THE BACKLOG OF DIS-
ABILITY CLAIMS. 
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not pay to an 
individual who is employed in the Senior Executive Service 
an award or bonus under chapter 45 or 53 of title 5, 
United States Code, or any other award or bonus author-
ized under such title, until the date on which the Secretary 
certifies to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate that the backlog 
of disability claims has been resolved. 
SEC. 3. EVALUATION OF BACKLOG OF DISABILITY CLAIMS 
AND APPEALS OF CLAIMS OF DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a commission 
or task force to evaluate the backlog of claims within the 
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Department of Veterans Affairs and the appeals process 
of claims. 
(b) STUDIES.— 
(1) BACKLOG STUDY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission or 
Task Force, acting through the subcommittee 
described in subsection (d)(2)(A), shall carry 
out a study on the backlog of claims, including 
the current process the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs uses to evaluate claims and appeals and 
the laws and regulations applicable to such 
claims and appeals. Such study shall be a com-
prehensive evaluation and assessment of the 
backlog of claims, an analysis of possible im-
provements to the procedures used to process 
such claims, and any related issues that the 
Commission or Task Force considers relevant. 
(B) MATTERS INCLUDED.—In carrying out 
the study under subparagraph (A), the Com-
mission or Task Force shall examine the fol-
lowing: 
(i) The backlog of claims, including 
an analysis of— 
(I) the most effective means to 
quickly and accurately resolve all 
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claims pending as of the date of the 
study; and 
(II) with respect to the Depart-
ment, the annual funding, number of 
full-time employees, workload manage-
ment practices, and the progress, as 
of the date of the study, of the stra-
tegic plan. 
(ii) Possible improvements to the 
claims process, including an evaluation and 
recommendations with respect to whether 
substantive and structural changes to the 
overall claims process are required. 
(iii) In carrying out the evaluation 
and recommendations under subparagraph 
(B), an examination of— 
(I) options that make no major 
substantive changes to the claims 
process; 
(II) options that maintain the 
process but make minor changes; and 
(III) options that make broad 
changes to the process. 
(2) APPEALS PROCESS STUDY.— 
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(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission or 
Task Force, acting through the subcommittee 
described in subsection (d)(2)(B), shall carry 
out a study on the anticipated increase of ap-
peals of claims, including the current appeals 
process and the laws and regulations applicable 
to such appeals. Such study shall be a com-
prehensive evaluation and assessment of such 
anticipated increase of appeals claims, an anal-
ysis of possible improvements to the procedures 
used to process such appeals, and any related 
issues that the Commission or Task Force con-
siders relevant. 
(B) MATTERS INCLUDED.—In carrying out 
the study under subparagraph (A), the Com-
mission or Task Force shall examine the fol-
lowing: 
(i) The anticipated surge in appeals of 
claims, including an analysis of— 
(I) the most effective means to 
quickly and accurately resolve pending 
appeals and future appeals; 
(II) with respect to both the 
Board and the Court of Appeals for 
Veterans Claims, the annual funding, 
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number of full-time employees, work-
load management practices, and the 
progress, as of the date of the study, 
of the strategic plan; and 
(III) the efficiency, effectiveness, 
and utility of the Veterans Benefits 
Management System with respect to 
appeals operations, including an iden-
tification of key changes that may 
need to be implemented to such sys-
tem. 
(ii) Possible improvements to the ap-
peals process, including an evaluation and 
recommendations with respect to whether 
substantive and structural changes to the 
overall appeals process are required. 
(iii) In carrying out the evaluation 
and recommendations under clause (ii), an 
examination of— 
(I) options that make no major 
substantive changes to the appeals 
process; 
(II) options that maintain the 
process but make minor changes; 
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(III) options that make broad 
changes to the process; 
(IV) the necessity of the multi- 
tiered levels of appeals at the regional 
office level, including filing a notice of 
disagreement, receipt of a statement 
of the case, supplemental statement of 
the case (if applicable), and sub-
stantive appeal (VA Form 9); 
(V) the role of the Board and the 
Appeals Management Center, includ-
ing— 
(aa) the effectiveness of the 
workload management of the 
Board and the Center; 
(bb) whether the Board and 
Center should be regionalized or 
maintain the centralized struc-
ture in the District of Columbia; 
(cc) whether Board members 
should be required to pass the 
administrative law judges certifi-
cation examination; and 
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