IB 
Union Calendar No. 162 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1530 
[Report No. 118–199] 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the requirement to 
publish disability benefit questionnaire forms of Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2023 
Mr. LUTTRELL (for himself and Mr. PAPPAS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 
Additional sponsors: Mr. MCGARVEY, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. SELF, and Mrs. 
BICE 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 10, 2023] 
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A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
requirement to publish disability benefit questionnaire 
forms of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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 amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘, in-
cluding (except as provided in paragraph (4)(A)) 
all disability benefit questionnaire forms avail-
able to personnel of the Veterans Health Admin-
istration 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 
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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 provider’ 
means a medical provider who is not an employee of 
the Department and who provides examinations with 
respect to medical disability of applicants for benefits 
under laws administered by the Secretary pursuant to 
a contract with the Department.’’. 
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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 enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, after 
consulting with the Secretary of State and the Commis-
sioner of the Social Security Administration, shall submit 
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 incurred trav-
eling to a facility of the Department or of a covered non- 
Department provider incident to an examination with re-
spect 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 disability for 
applicants for benefits under the laws administered by the 
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Secretary, shall include a requirement that every commu-
nication from the covered non-Department provider to such 
an applicant regarding the scheduling of a covered medical 
disability examination be contemporaneously transmitted 
to any person or organization— 
(1) designated by the applicant by a power of at-
torney filed with the Secretary; and 
(2) recognized under sections 5902, 5903, and 
5904 of title 38, United States Code, for the prepara-
tion, 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 enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in partnership 
with veterans service organizations and such other stake-
holders as the Secretary considers relevant and appropriate, 
shall implement an outreach program to provide veterans 
with the following information: 
(1) Contact information for covered non-Depart-
ment providers that provide examinations with re-
spect to medical disability of applicants for benefits 
under laws administered by the Secretary, including 
the telephone numbers such providers may use to con-
tact veterans. 
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(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 Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs and who provides examinations 
with respect to medical disability of applicants for benefits 
under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs 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 Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs considers relevant and appro-
priate, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representa-
tives a report on improving the support by the Department 
of Veterans Affairs of covered governmental veterans service 
officers. 
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(b) ELEMENTS.—The report submitted under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
(1) An assessment of the feasibility, advisability, 
and current technical limitations of providing covered 
governmental veterans service officers enhanced access 
to certain Department systems to better serve veterans 
those governmental service officers may not have au-
thorization to represent. 
(2) An assessment as to whether the Department 
would benefit from the establishment or designation of 
an office or working group within the Department to 
serve as an intergovernmental liaison between the De-
partment 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 service 
officers. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered governmental veterans 
service officer’’ means an employee of a State, county, 
municipal, or Tribal government— 
(A) who is recognized by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs as a representative of a veterans 
service organization to serve as a veterans service 
officer; and 
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(B) whose primary responsibilities include 
preparing, presenting, and prosecuting before the 
Department of Veterans Affairs claims for bene-
fits under laws administered by the Secretary. 
(2) The term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ 
means an organization recognized by the Secretary 
for the representation of veterans under section 5902 
of title 38, United States Code. 
SEC. 5. BOARD OF VETERANS’ APPEALS INTERNSHIP PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 71 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section: 
‘‘§ 7114. Internship program 
‘‘The Secretary shall establish a competitive internship 
program of the Board for individuals enrolled in the first 
or second year of law schools accredited by the American 
Bar Association.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 
the beginning of chapter 71 of such title is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new item: 
‘‘7114. Internship program.’’. 
(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. 
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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 Vet-
erans Affairs shall carry out a program to furnish certain 
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 re-
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ceive benefits under paragraph (1). Each such agree-
ment 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 sepa-
rated; and 
(B) if separated involuntarily on account of 
misconduct, or voluntarily, before the end of the 
period specified in the agreement, the covered at-
torney shall repay to the United States the 
amount of any benefits received by the covered 
participant under paragraph (1). 
(c) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) MENTORSHIP.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date on which an individual becomes a covered 
participant, the Secretary shall assign the covered 
participant a mentor who is an employee of the De-
partment 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 covered 
participant who has completed at least two years of 
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