SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Benefits Im-
provement Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLICATION OF DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DISABILITY BENEFIT 
QUESTIONNAIRE FORMS. 
Section 5101 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘, 
including (except as provided in paragraph 
(4)(A)) all disability benefit questionnaire forms 
available to personnel of the Veterans Health 
Administration and covered non-Department 
providers for the completion of examinations 
with respect to medical disability of applicants 
for benefits under laws administered by the 
Secretary’’ before the semicolon; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4)(A) The Secretary may exclude from publication 
under clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) any form 
described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph that the 
Secretary determines could not reasonably be completed 
to a clinically acceptable standard by someone not an em-
ployee or a contractor of the Department.
‘‘(B) A form described in this subparagraph is a form 
that— 
‘‘(i) was available or in use at any time after 
the date of the enactment of the Veterans Benefits 
Act of 2023; and 
‘‘(ii) has not been published under paragraph 
(1). 
‘‘(C) The Secretary shall include on the same internet 
website as the website on which forms are published under 
paragraph (1)(A) a list of forms that have been excluded 
from publication pursuant to subparagraph (A), and for 
each such form, a justification for the exclusion of the 
form from publication.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) The term ‘covered non-Department pro-
vider’ means a medical provider who is not an em-
ployee of the Department and who provides exami-
nations with respect to medical disability of appli-
cants for benefits under laws administered by the 
Secretary pursuant to a contract with the Depart-
ment.’’.
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF PROVISION OF MEDICAL DIS-
ABILITY EXAMINATIONS BY CONTRACTORS. 
(a) REPORT ON IMPROVING REIMBURSEMENT FOR 
TRAVEL RELATING TO MEDICAL DISABILITY EXAMINA-
TIONS.—Not later than one year after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
after consulting with the Secretary of State and the Com-
missioner of the Social Security Administration, shall sub-
mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 
and the House of Representatives a report on the efforts 
of the Secretary to reimburse veterans for expenses in-
curred traveling to a facility of the Department or of a 
covered non-Department provider incident to an examina-
tion with respect to the medical disability of the veteran 
for purposes of benefits under the laws administered by 
the Secretary, regardless of whether the facility is located 
inside or outside the United States. 
(b) COMMUNICATION
BY NON-DEPARTMENT PRO-
VIDERS PROVIDING MEDICAL DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS 
WITH INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS DESIGNATED 
FOR PREPARATION, PRESENTATION, AND PROSECUTION 
OF CLAIMS.—Any contract entered into by the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs after the date of the enactment of this 
Act under which a covered non-Department provider 
agrees to provide examinations with respect to medical dis-
ability for applicants for benefits under the laws adminis-
tered by the Secretary, shall include a requirement that 
every communication from the covered non-Department 
provider to such an applicant regarding the scheduling of 
a covered medical disability examination be contempora-
neously transmitted to any person or organization— 
(1) designated by the applicant by a power of 
attorney filed with the Secretary; and 
(2) recognized under sections 5902, 5903, and 
5904 of title 38, United States Code, for the prepa-
ration, presentation, and prosecution of claims. 
(c) DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OUTREACH 
REGARDING CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CONTRACTORS 
PROVIDING COVERED MEDICAL DISABILITY EXAMINA-
TIONS.—Not later than 120 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
partnership with veterans service organizations and such 
other stakeholders as the Secretary considers relevant and 
appropriate, shall implement an outreach program to pro-
vide veterans with the following information: 
(1) Contact information for covered non-De-
partment providers that provide examinations with 
respect to medical disability of applicants for bene-
fits under laws administered by the Secretary, in-
cluding the telephone numbers such providers may 
use to contact veterans.
(2) Notice of the requirement for a veteran to 
provide personally identifiable information to such a 
provider when contacted in order to verify the iden-
tity of the veteran. 
(d) COVERED NON-DEPARTMENT PROVIDER.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘covered non-Department provider’’ 
means a medical provider who is not an employee of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs and who provides exami-
nations with respect to medical disability of applicants for 
benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs pursuant to a contract with the Department. 
SEC. 4. REPORT ON SUPPORTING GOVERNMENTAL VET-
ERANS SERVICE OFFICERS WHO PREPARE, 
PRESENT, 
AND 
PROSECUTE 
BENEFITS 
CLAIMS BEFORE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act and after consulting veterans 
service organizations and such other stakeholders as the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers relevant and ap-
propriate, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on improving the support by the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs of covered governmental vet-
erans service officers.
(b) ELEMENTS.—The report submitted under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
(1) An assessment of the feasibility, advis-
ability, and current technical limitations of providing 
covered governmental veterans service officers en-
hanced access to certain Department systems to bet-
ter serve veterans those governmental service officers 
may not have authorization to represent. 
(2) An assessment as to whether the Depart-
ment would benefit from the establishment or des-
ignation of an office or working group within the 
Department to serve as an intergovernmental liaison 
between the Department and governmental veterans 
service officers. 
(3) Any other recommendations to improve how 
the Department monitors, coordinates with, or pro-
vides support to covered governmental veterans serv-
ice officers. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered governmental veterans 
service officer’’ means an employee of a State, coun-
ty, municipal, or Tribal government— 
(A) who is recognized by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs as a representative of a vet-
(c) DEADLINE.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish the internship program required by section 
7114 of such title, as added by subsection (a), not later 
than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. BENEFITS FOR PARTICIPANTS IN CERTAIN PRO-
GRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall carry out a program to furnish cer-
tain benefits to covered participants. 
(b) BENEFITS: STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT; REIM-
BURSEMENTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to an agreement 
under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall provide to 
each covered attorney— 
(A) student loan repayment benefits under 
section 5379 of title 5, United States Code, in 
the case of a covered attorney who is eligible for 
such benefits; and 
(B) reimbursement for the cost of— 
(i) enrollment in a course designed to 
prepare an individual for licensure to prac-
tice law in a State;
(ii) sitting for a bar examination in a 
State; and 
(iii) annual dues required to maintain 
membership in the bar of any State. 
(2) AGREEMENT.—The Secretary shall enter 
into an agreement with a covered attorney who will 
receive benefits under paragraph (1). Each such 
agreement shall specify that— 
(A) the covered attorney agrees to remain 
in the service of the Department for a period of 
not less than three years, unless involuntarily 
separated; and 
(B) if separated involuntarily on account 
of misconduct, or voluntarily, before the end of 
the period specified in the agreement, the cov-
ered attorney shall repay to the United States 
the amount of any benefits received by the cov-
ered participant under paragraph (1). 
(c) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) MENTORSHIP.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date on which an individual becomes a cov-
ered participant, the Secretary shall assign the cov-
ered participant a mentor who is an employee of the 
Department who is—
(A) to the extent practicable, a managerial 
employee; and 
(B) outside the participant’s chain of com-
mand. 
(2) ASSIGNMENTS.—At the election of a cov-
ered participant who has completed at least two 
years of service to the Department, the Secretary 
shall assign such covered participant to: 
(A) The Office of General Counsel, in a 
position— 
(i) that includes full-time legal respon-
sibilities in order to further the profes-
sional development of the covered partici-
pant; and 
(ii) for a period of not less than 120 
days and not more than 180 days, or 
longer at the discretion of the Secretary. 
(B) In the case of a covered participant 
who has already held a position described in 
subparagraph (A), an assignment described in 
clauses (i) and (ii) of such subparagraph with 
the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. 
(3) OTHER
ROTATIONAL
ASSIGNMENTS.—The 
Secretary may provide a covered participant one or 
more other short-term rotational assignments. Such
an assignment shall be for a period of not less than 
30 days and not more than 180 days, at the discre-
tion of the Secretary. 
(d) PERIODIC REPORTS.— 
(1) REPORTS REQUIRED.—Not later than three 
years after the date on which the Secretary begins 
to carry out the program under this section, and not 
less frequently than once every three years there-
after, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives regarding such program. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each report submitted under 
paragraph (1) shall include the following elements: 
(A) Costs to the United States to provide 
benefits under subsection (b). 
(B) The rates of retention of covered par-
ticipants compared to other employees of the 
Department. 
(C) Recommendations of the Secretary re-
garding legislative or administrative action to 
improve such program. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered attorney’’ means an in-
dividual who—
(A) is a covered participant; 
(B) has graduated from a law school ac-
credited by the American Bar Association; and 
(C) is a member in good standing of the 
bar of a State. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered participant’’ means an 
individual who participates in— 
(A) the Honors Attorney Program (or suc-
cessor program) of the Office of General Coun-
sel of the Department of Veterans Affairs; or 
(B) the Law Clerk Program (or successor 
program) of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. 
(3) The term ‘‘State’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 101 of title 38, United States 
Code. 
SEC. 7. INCREASE IN MAXIMUM NUMBER OF JUDGES AP-
POINTED TO UNITED STATES COURT OF AP-
PEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS. 
Section 7253(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘seven’’ and inserting ‘‘nine’’. 
SEC. 8. REPORT ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO BOARD OF VET-
ERANS’ APPEALS TELEHEARINGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives a report on improv-
ing access to hearings before the Board of Veterans’ Ap-
peals held by picture and voice transmission. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report required by subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) Recommendations on the feasibility and ad-
visability of reimbursing veterans for expenses in-
curred for travel from the home of a veteran to the 
location at which a hearing before the Board of Vet-
erans’ Appeals is held by picture and voice trans-
mission, if the Secretary determines that travel to 
such location is reasonably necessary for such a 
hearing. 
(2) Recommendations on establishment of pilot 
programs to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
using other methods that could improve veteran ac-
cess to hearings before the Board of Veterans’ Ap-
peals held by picture and voice transmission from a 
veteran’s home. 
(3) Such other recommendations to improve ac-
cess to hearings before the Board of Veterans’ Ap-