Veterans Disability Benefits Claims Modernization Act of 2008

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modernize the disability benefits claims processing system of the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure the accurate and timely delivery of compensation to veterans and their families and survivors, and for other purposes.

8/1/2008--Introduced.
Veterans Disability Benefits Claims Modernization Act of 2008 - Revises or adds provisions relating to the disability compensation system of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to:
(1) establish in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) an Office of Survivors Assistance to provide assistance to veterans' survivors and dependents regarding VA benefits and services;
(2) require a study on adjusting the schedule for rating veterans' disabilities;
(3) establish the Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation;
(4) require a study on the employee work credit system of the VBA;
(5) require a study on the VBA's work management system;
(6) require the certification and training of VBA employees responsible for processing claims;
(7) require an annual independent assessment of the VBA's quality assurance program;
(8) provide for the expedited VBA treatment of fully developed claims and a checklist for individuals submitting incomplete claims;
(9) require a study of the VBA's need to employ additional medical professionals to act as a medical reference for employees handling claims;
(10) provide for the assignment of partial disability ratings to certain veterans;
(11) require a review and revision of VBA use of information technology; and
(12) allow a claim beneficiary to be substituted as a claimant in the case of the death of a veteran claimant while a claim is awaiting adjudication or appeal. Requires the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to report annually to the congressional veterans' committees on the Court's workload. Revises provisions concerning the jurisdiction and finality of decisions of the Court.


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Sponsor

• Sen. Hillary Clinton [D, NY]
• and 2 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Blanche Lincoln [D, AR]
  • Sen. Charles Schumer [D, NY]
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Committees

• Senate Veterans' Affairs

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.3419

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
August 01, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Aug 01, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
• Introduced on Aug 01, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.5892

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Blog Coverage

October 11, 2008 Veterans' Benefits Legislation Signed by President : Veterans ...

This bill is a stripped down version of H.R. 5298 and S. 3419. Although there are some sorely needed improvements for the VA in the bill, an important section clarifying "combat with the enemy" was quietly removed in the passed version ...

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Source: Veterans Today - US Military Veterans VA...

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September 30, 2008 VA Watchdog dot Org -- House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Press ...

Senator Clinton introduced companion legislation to this bill, S. 3419, on August 1, 2008. Chairman Hall stated that “today’s oversight hearing confirmed my suspicion that problems still exist with the training and management at the VBA ...

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Source: VA NEWS FLASH -- from Larry Scott of VA...

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September 19, 2008 VA Benefits lacking

Senator Clinton introduced companion legislation to this bill, S. 3419, on August 1, 2008. Chairman Hall stated that “today’s oversight hearing confirmed my suspicion that problems still exist with the training and management at the VBA ...

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Source: Military & Veterans: Politics for the...

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