Skip to main content

Independent assessment of notices that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs sends to claimants

Title I: Compensation

Plain-language summaryAI

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must arrange for an independent research center to review the notices sent to veterans making claims. This review will look at ways to reduce paper use and costs, and suggest how to make the notices clearer and easier to understand. The Secretary must share the review with Congress and put the feasible recommendations into practice within a year.

AI-generated from this section’s text — a quick orientation, not a substitute for the full text below. Not legal advice.

Section Text · Sec. 112.
Source →PrevNext

(a) Agreement

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with an FFRDC for an assessment of notices that the Secretary sends to claimants.

(b) Assessment

An FFRDC that enters into an agreement under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary a written assessment of such notices. The assessment shall include the following:

(1)

The determination of the FFRDC, made in consultation with covered entities, whether each such notice may be feasibly altered to reduce paper consumption by, and costs to, the Federal Government.

(2)

The recommendations of the FFRDC regarding how the Secretary may make such notices clearer to claimants, better organized, and more concise.

(c) Report; implementation

Not later than 90 days after the Secretary receives the assessment under subsection (b), the Secretary shall—

(1)

submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a copy of such assessment; and

(2)

implement the recommendations in the assessment that are in compliance with the laws administered by the Secretary.

(d) Deadline for implementation

The Secretary shall complete the implementation of such recommendations pursuant to subsection (c)(2) by not later than one year after the date on which the Secretary commences such implementation.

(e) Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term FFRDC means a federally funded research and development center.

(2)

The term covered entities includes—

(A)

the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(B)

an expert in laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(C)

a veterans service organization recognized under section 5902 of title 38, United States Code;

(D)

an entity that advocates for veterans; and

(E)

an entity that advocates for the survivors of veterans.

(3)

The terms claimant and notice have the meanings given such terms in section 5100 of title 38, United States Code.