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HR 3047 IH

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the processing of claims for benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

July 16, 2007

Mr. LAMBORN (for himself, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. BOOZMAN, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr. HAYES, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. GRAVES, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, and Mr. FORTUN.AE6O) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the processing of claims for benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 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 Claims Processing Innovation Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF WORK CREDIT SYSTEM FOR REGIONAL OFFICES OF VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION.

(a) Establishment of System- Chapter 7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 713. Veterans Benefits Administration work credit system

`(a) Establishment- The Secretary shall establish a work credit system for evaluating regional offices of the Veterans Benefits Administration.

`(b) Credit for Claims- Under the system established under subsection (a), a regional office of the Veterans Benefits Administration may only receive work credit for a claim assigned to that regional office when the appellate period for the claim has expired or the Board of Veterans Appeals has issued a final decision with respect to the claim.'.

(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`713. Veterans Benefits Administration work credit system.'.

SEC. 3. ELECTRONIC PROCESSING OF CLAIMS FOR BENEFITS ADMINISTERED BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) Electronic Processing of Claims-

(1) IN GENERAL- Subtitle I of chapter 51 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by section 3, is further amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 5109C. Electronic processing of claims

`(a) System Required- The Secretary shall develop and maintain a system for processing claims for disability compensation under this title using artificial intelligence. Such system shall use medical and military service data to generate recommendations with respect to disability ratings.

`(b) Quarterly Reports- During the period beginning on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section and ending on the last day of the first full fiscal year after the fiscal year during which the regional office required under section 351(c) of this title is fully operational, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives quarterly reports on the status of the system required under subsection (a) and the regional office required under such section.'.

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`5109C. Electronic processing of claims.'.

(b) Regional Office- Section 315 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(c) The Secretary shall maintain a regional office at which all claims for benefits under this title are processed exclusively electronically. At such regional office, the Secretary shall--

`(1) maintain the system based on artificial intelligence required under section 5109C of this title; and

`(2) electronically scan all files created by or submitted to such office that relate to claimants or claims for such benefits.'.

(c) Deadline for Implementation- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a plan for establishing the regional office required under subsection (c) of section 315 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (b), by not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. TREATMENT OF BENEFICIARY OF VETERAN'S ACCRUED BENEFITS AS CLAIMANT FOR PURPOSES OF INCOMPLETE CLAIMS AS OF DEATH OF VETERAN.

(a) In General- Section 5102 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by added at the end the following new subsection:

`(d) If a veteran who is a claimant dies before completing the submission of a claim for any benefit under a law administered by the Secretary, the person who would receive any accrued benefits due to the veteran under section 5121(a)(2) of this title shall be treated as the claimant for the purposes of completing the submission of the claim.'.

(b) Effective Date- Subsection (d) of section 5102 of title 38, United States Code, shall apply with respect to the claim of any veteran who dies on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. EVALUATION OF TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS FOR EMPLOYEES OF VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION.

(a) Evaluation Required- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into a contract with a private entity with experience evaluating quality assurance and benefits programs under which that entity shall--

(1) conduct an evaluation of the items required to be included in the annual report of the Secretary under section 7734 of title 38, United States Code, that were included in the last such report submitted before the date of the enactment of this Act, that relate to the training and performance assessment programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs for employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration who are responsible for matters relating to compensation or pension benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary; and

(2) submit to the Secretary the results of such evaluation not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) Submission of Results to Congress- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, In the first annual report required to be submitted to Congress under section 529 of title 38, United States Code, submitted after the date on which the Secretary receives the results of the evaluation required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall include such results.

(c) Report- Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary submits the report referred to in subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on any actions the Secretary has taken or plans to take in response to the results of the evaluation required under subsection (a).