Title: Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2018
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2018
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to collaborate with veterans service organizations to write a standard letter to be provided to individuals who owe debts to the VA. Such letter shall be written in plain language and shall include a notice of the debt and a clear explanation of: (1) why the individual owes such money, and (2) available options.
The VA shall develop a method by which individuals may elect to receive debt notification letters by electronic means and shall ensure that the letter is delivered: (1) by both standard mail and electronic means to individuals who have made such election, and (2) only by standard mail to individuals who have not made such election.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2884 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2884

  To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a standard 
  letter format to be provided to individuals who are indebted to the 
  United States by virtue of their participation in benefits programs 
administered by the Secretary, to provide notice of debt by electronic 
   means to such individuals when so elected, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2018

   Mrs. Fischer (for herself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Brown, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. 
 Heller, and Mr. Rubio) introduced the following bill; which was read 
        twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop a standard 
  letter format to be provided to individuals who are indebted to the 
  United States by virtue of their participation in benefits programs 
administered by the Secretary, to provide notice of debt by electronic 
   means to such individuals when so elected, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS NOTICE RELATING TO DEBT 
              COLLECTION ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Debt Notification Letter Formats.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall collaborate with veterans service organizations to 
develop a standard format for any letter provided to individuals who 
the Secretary determines are indebted to the United States by virtue of 
such person's participation in a benefits program administered by the 
Secretary. Such letter shall be written in plain language and shall 
include a notice of the debt and a clear explanation of--
            (1) why the individual is indebted to the United States by 
        virtue of such person's participation in a benefits program 
        administered by the Secretary; and
            (2) the options available to the individual.
    (b) Delivery of Debt Notices by Standard Mail and Electronic 
Means.--The Secretary shall develop a method by which individuals may 
elect to receive notice of debt by electronic means and shall ensure, 
to the extent practicable, that the letter developed under subsection 
(a) is delivered--
            (1) by both standard mail and by electronic means to 
        intended recipients who have made such an election; and
            (2) only by standard mail to intended recipients who have 
        not made such an election.
    (c) Notice to Congress.--
            (1) Notices of completion.--Upon completion of the 
        development of the standard letter format required under 
        subsection (a) and upon completion of development of the method 
        under subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to Congress 
        notice of the completion of the development.
            (2) Progress reports.--If the Secretary has not submitted 
        each notice required by paragraph (1) by the date that is 90 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
        shall--
                    (A) submit to Congress a report describing the 
                progress of the Secretary toward implementing 
                subsections (a) and (b) and an explanation for why the 
                respective development has not been completed; and
                    (B) every 30 days thereafter until all of the 
                notices required by paragraph (1) have been submitted, 
                submit to Congress an update to the report under 
                subparagraph (A) that includes an additional 
                explanation for the failure to complete the respective 
                development.
    (d) Study and Report.--
            (1) Study.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
        coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall conduct 
        a study on the process by which individuals who are indebted to 
        the United States by virtue of their participation in a 
        benefits program administered by the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs are notified of debt collection efforts relating to 
        such indebtedness.
            (2) Elements.--The study required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) An analysis of the scope of the problem of 
                individuals who are indebted to the United States by 
                virtue of their participation in a benefits program 
                administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs not 
                receiving debt collection notices relating to such 
                indebtedness.
                    (B) Identification of administrative actions the 
                Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of the 
                Treasury can carry out to reduce the number of 
                incorrect or unknown addresses of such individuals in 
                the databases of the Department Veterans Affairs and 
                the Department of the Treasury and a timeline for 
                carrying out such actions.
                    (C) An estimate of the costs associated with 
                sending debt collection notices to such individuals by 
                certified mail.
                    (D) An analysis of whether, or to what extent, 
                sending debt collection notices to such individuals by 
                certified mail would address the problem analyzed under 
                subparagraph (A).
                    (E) An analysis of the requirements and resources 
                that would be necessary to develop the capability for 
                creating a single consolidated snapshot of a veteran's 
                debt.
                    (F) An analysis of the extent to which individuals 
                indebted to the United States by virtue of their 
                participation in a benefits program administered by the 
                Secretary of Veterans Affairs are so indebted as a 
                result of an error, misrepresentation, or fraud by such 
                individuals.
            (3) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
        coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit 
        to Congress a report on the findings of the Secretaries with 
        respect to the study conducted under paragraph (1).
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