,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aihj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #ad1 #bjac ,mr4 
,walz 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,denham1 ,mr4  
,jones1 ,ms4 ,frankel of ,florida1 ,mr4 
,barber1 ,ms4 ,esty1 ,ms4 ,kuster1 and  
,mr4 ,o',rourke7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to prohibit the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs from   
requesting additional medical           
examinations of veterans who have       
submitted sufficient medical evidence   
provided by non-,department medical     
professionals and to improve the        
efficiency of processing certain claims 
for disability compensation by veterans1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,quicker ,veterans ,benefits ,delivery  
,act4  #b4 ,treatment of medical        
evidence provided by non-,department of 
,veterans ,affairs medical professionals

 in support of claims disability        
compensation  7a7 ,in general ,section  
#eajc;,a7d7 of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new paragraph3    
7#c7 ,during the six-year period        
beginning on the date of the enactment  
of this paragraph1 the ,secretary may   
not request a medical examination under 
paragraph 7#a7 in the case of a claim   
for disability compensation in support  
of which a claimant submits medical     
evidence provided by a non-,department  
medical professional1 including a       
non-,department medical opinion1 that is
 competent1 credible1 probative1 and    
otherwise adequate for purposes of      
making a decision on the claim4  4  7b7 
,effective date ,the amendment made by  
subsection 7a7 shall apply with respect 
to medical evidence submitted after the 
date that is #ij days after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act4  #c4        
,improvement of disability claims       
processing  7a7 ,prestabilization rates 

,section #aaef of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 by    
redesignating subsections 7c7 and 7d7 as
 subsections 7e7 and 7f71 respectively2 
and  7#b7 by inserting after subsection 
7b7 the following new subsection 7c73   
7c7 ,prestabilization rates ,during the 
six-year period beginning on the date of
 the enactment of this subsection1 in   
assigning to a veteran a                
prestabilization rating pursuant to     
section #d4bh of title #ch1 ,code of    
,federal ,regulations1 7or successor    
regulation71 the ,secretary shall assign
 such a rating at the level of total1   
#ej percent1 or #cj percent1 as         
determined appropriate by the           
,secretary4  4  7b7 ,temporary minimum  
rates ,section #aaef of title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code1 is further       
amended by inserting after subsection   
7c71 as added by subsection 7a71 the    
following new subsection 7d73  7d7      
,temporary minimum rates ,during the    
six-year period beginning on the date of

 the enactment of this subsection1 the  
,secretary shall assign a temporary     
minimum disability rating to a veteran  
who--  7#a7 has one or more disabilities
 not covered under subsection 7a72 and  
7#b7 submits a claim for such disability
 that has sufficient evidence to support
 a minimum disability rating4  4  7c7   
,reporting of claims backlog ,during the
 six-year period beginning on the date  
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
not include any veteran to whom the     
,secretary has assigned a               
pre-stabilization rating under          
subsection 7c7 of section #aaef of such 
title1 as added by subsection 7a71 or a 
temporary minimum disability rating     
under subsection 7d7 of such section1 as
 added by subsection 7b71 in any count  
of the backlog of disability ratings to 
be assigned by the ,secretary4  7d7     
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the   
date that is #ij days after the date of 

the enactment of this ,act and shall    
apply with respect to claims for        
disability compensation filed on or     
after that date4  #d4 ,timing of monthly
 payments of benefits under the laws    
administered by the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general     
,section #eabj7;e7 of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 by   
striking ,whenever and inserting 7#a7   
,whenever2 and  7#b7 by adding at the   
end the following new paragraph3  7#b7  
,during the six-year period beginning on
 the date of the enactment of this      
paragraph1 the ,secretary shall certify 
benefit payments for any calendar month 
in such a way that such payments will be
 delivered by mail1 or transmitted for  
credit to the payee's account pursuant  
to subsection 7d7 of this section1      
before the first day of the calendar    
month for which such payments are       
issued4  4  7b7 ,effective date ,the    
amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall 
apply with respect to a calendar month  

that begins after the date that is #ij  
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act4