Veterans Access to Speedy Review Act

Bill: 114-hr-732
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]
Introduced: 2015-02-04
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative remedies

Department of Veterans Affairs

Disability assistance

Veterans' pensions and compensation
Latest action: action_date: 2015-05-14
text: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote .

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-02-04
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Veterans Access to Speedy Review Act</strong></p> <p>Requires the Board of Veterans' Appeals, for purposes of scheduling a veteran's appeal hearing at the earliest possible date, to determine whether to provide such hearing: (1) at its principal location or at another Department of Veterans Affairs facility or other federal facility, and (2) through the use of videoconferencing or by an appellant's personal appearance.</p> <p>Requires the Board to notify the appellant of such decisions. Allows the appellant to request a different location or type of hearing. Requires the Board to grant such request and ensure that the hearing is scheduled at the earliest possible date.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 732 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 4, 2015 Mr. Ruiz (for himself, Mrs. Walorski , Ms. Norton , Mr. Cartwright , Ms. Brownley of California , Mrs. Napolitano , Mr. Jolly , Ms. Kuster , Mr. Honda , Mr. McGovern , Mr. Thompson of California , and Mr. Rangel ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the opportunity for veterans to use video conferencing for hearings before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Access to Speedy Review Act . 2. Board of Veterans' Appeals video hearings Section 7107 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (d), by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: (1) (A) Upon request for a hearing, the Board shall determine, for purposes of scheduling the hearing for the earliest possible date, whether a hearing before the Board will be held at its principal location or at a facility of the Department or other appropriate Federal facility located within the area served by a regional office of the Department. The Board shall also determine whether to provide a hearing through the use of the facilities and equipment described in subsection (e)(1) or by the appellant personally appearing before a Board member or panel. (B) The Board shall notify the appellant of the determinations of the location and type of hearing made under subparagraph (A). Upon notification, the appellant may request a different location or type of hearing as described in such subparagraph. If so requested, the Board shall grant such request and ensure that the hearing is scheduled at the earliest possible date without any undue delay or other prejudice to the appellant. ; and (2) in subsection (e), by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: (2) Any hearing provided through the use of the facilities and equipment described in paragraph (1) shall be conducted in the same manner as, and shall be considered the equivalent of, a personal hearing .