Access to Veterans Benefits Improvement Act

Bill: 113-hr-733
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Runyan, Jon [R-NJ-3]
Introduced: 2013-02-14
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Government information and archives

Right of privacy

Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs

Veterans' medical care

Veterans' pensions and compensation
Latest action: action_date: 2013-04-16
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-02-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Access to Veterans Benefits Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide veterans' case-tracking information access to employees of a Member of Congress or of a state or local governmental agency assisting veterans with benefit claims. Directs the Secretary to ensure that such access does not: (1) allow the employee to modify the data in the case-tracking system, and (2) include access to medical records. Requires such employees to complete a certification course on privacy issues before receiving such access.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 733 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 14, 2013 Mr. Runyan (for himself and Mr. Walz ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain employees of Members of Congress and certain employees of State or local governmental agencies with access to case-tracking information of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Access to Veterans Benefits Improvement Act . 2. Provision of access to case-tracking information (a) In general Chapter 59 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 5906. Provision of access to case-tracking information (a) In general (1) In accordance with subsection (b), the Secretary shall provide a covered employee with access to the case-tracking system to provide a veteran with information regarding the status of a claim submitted by such veteran, regardless of whether such employee is acting under a power of attorney executed by such veteran. (2) In providing a covered employee with access to the case-tracking system under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure— (A) that such access— (i) is provided in a manner that does not allow such employee to modify the data contained in such system; and (ii) does not include access to medical records; and (B) that each time a covered employee accesses such system, the employee must certify that such access is for official purposes only. (b) Privacy certification course The Secretary may not provide a covered employee with access to the case-tracking system under subsection (a)(1) unless the covered employee has successfully completed a certification course on privacy issues provided by the Secretary. (c) Treatment of disclosure The access to information by a covered employee pursuant to subsection (a)(1) shall be deemed to be— (1) a covered disclosure under section 552a(b) of title 5; and (2) a permitted disclosure under regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ( 42 U.S.C. 1320d–2 note). (d) Definitions In this section: (1) The term case-tracking system means the system of the Department of Veterans Affairs that provides information regarding the status of a claim submitted by a veteran. (2) The term covered employee means— (A) an employee of a Member of Congress who assists the constituents of the Member with issues regarding departments or agencies of the Federal Government; or (B) an employee of a State or local governmental agency (including a veterans service officer) who, in the course of carrying out the responsibilities of such employment, assists veterans with claims for any benefit under the laws administered by the Secretary. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: 5906. Provision of access to case-tracking information. .