,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bbif  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #g1 #bjad 
,mrs4 ,shaheen introduced the following 
bill2 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 ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,veterans ,appeals  
,improvement ,act of #bjad4  #b4        
,findings ,congress makes the following 
findings3 7#a7 ,section #gaja7;a7 of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1       
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 manner4  7#b7 ,the supporting   
information submitted along with the    
budget under section #aaje of title #ca1

 ,united ,states ,code1 for fiscal year 
#bjae for the ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs states that appeals received by
 the ,board of ,veterans' ,appeals are  
expected to increase by #eb percent from
 the #dg1gfc appeals received in #bjaa  
to #gb1ghf by the end of #bjae4  7#c7   
,the annual report of the ,board of     
,veterans' ,appeals for ,fiscal ,year   
#bjab indicates that with #fd members1  
the ,board was able to issue #dd1cjj    
decisions in that fiscal year4  7#d7    
,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 issue4  #c4
 ,minimum number of decision review     
officers at regional offices of         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,in general ,not later than one year    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 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
 ,department4  7b7 ,notice  7#a7 ,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 
,act1 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 decline4
  7#b7 ,contents ,notice submitted under
 paragraph 7#a7 with respect to a       
regional office of the ,department shall
 include the following3 7,a7 ,the number
 of decision review officers employed by
 the ,department at such regional       
office4  7,b7 ,a plan to increase the   
number of decision review officers at   
such regional office to at least three1 
including an estimate of when at least  
three decision review officers will be  

employed at such regional office4  7,c7 
,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 office4  #d4 ,report  7a7
 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 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 
manner4  7b7 ,contents ,the report      
required by subsection 7a7 shall include
 the following3 7#a7 ,whether the number

 of members of the ,board is sufficient 
to conduct hearings and dispose of      
appeals properly before the ,board in a 
timely manner4  7#b7 ,an assessment of  
the feasibility and advisability of     
increasing the number of decision review
 officers by #aj1 #ae1 and #be percent  
from the number of review officers      
employed by the ,department on the day  
before the date of the enactment of this
 ,act4