IIB 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3854 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a 
plan to expand the use of certain automation tools in 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Modernizing All Vet-
erans and Survivors Claims Processing Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ANNUAL RE-
PORT ON CAUSES OF DEATH AMONG VET-
ERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchaper II of chapter 5 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 534. Annual report on causes of death among vet-
erans 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall submit to 
the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate an annual report that contains 
data and information on causes of death among veterans. 
‘‘(b) ELEMENTS.—Such report shall include— 
‘‘(1) for each veteran that died during the pe-
riod covered by the report an identification of— 
‘‘(A) whether such veteran had a service- 
connected disability rated as total; 
‘‘(B) the primary cause of death; 
‘‘(C) the secondary cause of death, if appli-
cable; and 
‘‘(D) the manner of death; 
‘‘(2) for each primary cause of death identified 
pursuant to paragraph (1), a statement of the total 
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number of veterans that died from such primary 
cause of death during the period covered by the re-
port; and 
‘‘(3) for each manner of death identified pursu-
ant to paragraph (1), a statement of the total num-
ber of veterans that died in such manner during the 
period covered by the report. 
‘‘(c) SUNSET.—This section shall terminate on the 
date that is five years after the date of the enactment of 
the Justice for America’s Veterans and Survivors Act of 
2025.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 533 the fol-
lowing new item: 
‘‘534. Annual report on causes of death among veterans’’. 
SEC. 3. PLAN FOR USE OF AUTOMATION TOOLS TO PROC-
ESS CLAIMS UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED BY 
THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives the 
plan of the Secretary to make available, to the maximum 
extent practicable, an automation tool described in sub-
section (b) to elements of the Department of Veterans Af-
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fairs for the purpose of processing claims under laws ad-
ministered by the Secretary. 
(b) AUTOMATION TOOL DESCRIBED.—An automa-
tion tool described in this subsection is a technology devel-
oped for the Compensation Service of the Veterans Bene-
fits Administration that— 
(1) automates the retrieval of the service record 
or health records of a veteran; 
(2) compiles evidence relevant to the determina-
tion of a claim for benefits under laws administered 
by the Secretary; 
(3) provides automated decision support rel-
evant to such a determination; 
(4) automates information sharing between 
Federal agencies; and 
(5) assists in generating correspondence regard-
ing such a claim. 
(c) ANALYSIS.—In developing the plan required 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall conduct an anal-
ysis of each of the following: 
(1) The feasibility and benefits of the use of an 
automation tool described in subsection (b) by ele-
ments of the Department for the purpose of proc-
essing claims under laws administered by the Sec-
retary. 
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(2) Any modification to an existing automation 
tool that could render such tool usable for such pur-
pose by such an element. 
(3) Any requirement of any such element per-
taining to such purpose that cannot be addressed by 
using an automation tool. 
(4) The extent to which the technology offices 
of such elements may need to collaborate with the 
technology office responsible for developing an auto-
mation tool in the course of the development and use 
of the tool by the element for such purpose. 
(5) A timeline for modifying and implementing 
any automation tool for use by such elements for 
such purpose. 
(d) PRIORITY.—In providing an automation tool de-
scribed in subsection (b) to elements of the Department 
pursuant to the plan required under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall give priority to the following elements: 
(1) The Pension and Fiduciary Service of the 
Veterans Benefits Administration. 
(2) The Education Service of the Veterans Ben-
efits Administration. 
(3) Program offices of the Veterans Benefits 
Administration, as determined by the Secretary. 
(4) The Debt Management Center. 
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(5) The Board of Veterans’ Appeals. 
SEC. 4. OTHER REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO TECH-
NOLOGY AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS. 
(a) AUTOMATIC NOTICES REGARDING BENEFITS FOR 
CERTAIN CHILDREN OF VETERANS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall implement policies, 
processes, and technological capabilities, including in 
the National Work Queue (or successor system), to 
ensure that, in the case of any covered situation, a 
claims processors is made aware of, and assigned to 
address, such covered situation. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) The term ‘‘covered situation’’ means— 
(i) any increase in the amount of de-
pendency compensation paid to a bene-
ficiary for a child under the laws adminis-
tered by the Secretary; and 
(ii) any educational assistance paid to 
the child of a veteran under the laws ad-
ministered by the Secretary. 
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(B) The term ‘‘child’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 101(4)(A)(iii) of title 
38, United States Code. 
(b) CORRECT LABELING OF DOCUMENTS.—Not later 
than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a plan 
to ensure that documents in the Veterans Benefits Man-
agement System (or any successor system) are correctly 
labeled when such documents are uploaded, including 
when such documents are labeled using automation tools. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 
2025. 
Attest: 
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 
Clerk. 
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