S. 2296 — Introduced in Senate

II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2296 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 7, 2014 Mrs. Shaheen introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to employ at least three decision review officers at each regional office of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Appeals Improvement Act of 2014. 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Section 7101(a) of title 38, United States Code, requires that the Board of Veterans' Appeals have such number of members and staff as may be found necessary in order to conduct hearings and dispose of appeals properly before the Board in a timely manner. (2) The supporting information submitted along with the budget under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for fiscal year 2015 for the Department of Veterans Affairs states that appeals received by the Board of Veterans' Appeals are expected to increase by 52 percent from the 47,763 appeals received in 2011 to 72,786 by the end of 2015. (3) The annual report of the Board of Veterans' Appeals for Fiscal Year 2012 indicates that with 64 members, the Board was able to issue 44,300 decisions in that fiscal year. (4) The Board also noted in such report that there is a direct and proportional correlation between the number of members and staff of the Board and the number of decisions they can issue. 3. Minimum number of decision review officers at regional offices of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that not fewer than three decision review officers are employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs at each regional office of the Department. (b) Notice (1) In general In any case in which the number of decision review officers employed by the Department at a regional office of the Department declines to fewer than three after the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives notice of such decline. (2) Contents Notice submitted under paragraph (1) with respect to a regional office of the Department shall include the following: (A) The number of decision review officers employed by the Department at such regional office. (B) A plan to increase the number of decision review officers at such regional office to at least three, including an estimate of when at least three decision review officers will be employed at such regional office. (C) A description of the measures that the Secretary plans to take to ensure that appeals properly before the Board of Veterans' Appeals that would normally be disposed of by decision review officers at such regional office are disposed of in a timely manner during the period in which fewer than three decision review officers are employed at such regional office. 4. Report (a) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the ability of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to conduct hearings and dispose of appeals properly before the Board in a timely manner. (b) Contents The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) Whether the number of members of the Board is sufficient to conduct hearings and dispose of appeals properly before the Board in a timely manner. (2) An assessment of the feasibility and advisability of increasing the number of decision review officers by 10, 15, and 25 percent from the number of review officers employed by the Department on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act.