,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dcce  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #bg1 #bjad    
,mr4 ,maffei introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to clarify that the      
estate of a deceased veteran may receive
 certain accrued benefits upon the death
 of the veteran1 to ensure that         
substituted claims are processed timely1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,veteran ,families ,fairness ,act4  #b4 
,clarification of eligible recipients of
 certain accrued benefits upon death of 
beneficiary  7a7 ,treatment of estate   
7#a7 ,eligible recipient ,section       
#eaba7;a77#b7 of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended--  7,a7 in the
 matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by 
inserting 1 or estate1 after person2 and
  7,b7 by adding at the end the         
following new subparagraph3  7,d7 ,the  

estate of the veteran 7unless the estate
 will escheat74  4  7#b7 ,substitution  
in case of death of claimant ,section   
#eaba;,a7a77#a7 of such title is        
amended--  7,a7 by inserting 1 or       
estate1 after a living person2 and  7,b7
 by adding at the end the following new 
sentence3 ,the ,secretary shall process 
a claim of such a substituted claimant  
by recognizing the original filing date 
of the claim and without penalty to the 
priority of the claim44  7#c7 ,outreach 
7,a7 ,the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs shall identify deceased        
veterans whom the ,secretary determines 
meet the following criteria3  7i7 ,the  
veteran died before--  7,i7 the date of 
the enactment of this ,act2 and  7,,ii7 
being able to receive periodic monetary 
benefits under laws administered by the 
,secretary to which the veteran was     
entitled or had filed a claim to        
receive4  7ii7 ,such benefits were not  
paid to an individual described in      
section #eaba of title #ch1 ,united     

,states ,code1 or such claim was not    
substituted under section #eaba;,a of   
such title4  7iii7 ,if the amendments   
made by paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 were in
 effect on the date of the death of the 
individual1 such benefits could have    
been paid to the estate of the veteran  
under section #eaba of title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code1 or such claim    
could have been substituted by the      
estate under section #eaba;,a of such   
title4  7,b7 ,the ,secretary shall      
notify the estate of each veteran       
identified under subparagraph 7,a7 of   
the ability of the estate to apply for  
payments under section #eaba of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as amended  
by paragraph 7#a7 or apply to act as a  
substituted claimant under section      
#eaba;,a of such title1 as amended by   
paragraph 7#b74 ,in determining such    
applications1 the ,secretary shall      
substitute the date on which the estate 
was notified of the eligibility of the  
estate to apply under this section for--

  7i7 the date of death in subsection   
7c7 of such section #eaba2 and  7ii7 the
 date of the death of such claimant in  
subsection 7a7 of such section #eaba;,a4
  7#d7 ,application ,in accordance with 
paragraph 7#c71 the amendments made by  
subsection 7a7 and 7b7 shall apply with 
respect to the death of an individual   
regardless of the date of such death4   
7b7 ,reimbursements ,the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs shall--  7#a7        
reimburse a claimant who is awarded a   
claim for compensation under title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code1 including an     
individual or estate under section #eaba
 and section #eaba;,a of such title1 as 
amended by this section1 for costs      
that--  7,a7 relate to the medical      
treatment of the claimant2  7,b7 were   
charged to the claimant during the      
period beginning on the date on which   
the claim was filed and ending on the   
date of such award2 and  7,c7 would have
 been paid by the ,secretary1 or such   
treatment would have been provided by   

the ,secretary1 if such treatment       
occurred after the date of such award2  
and  7#b7 recommend to each claimant1   
upon the filing of the claim1 to retain 
receipts and other documentation        
relating to costs described in paragraph
 7#a74