,i  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bde  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #i1 #bjae   
,mr4 ,abraham introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to codify certain        
existing provisions of law relating to  
effective dates for claims under the    
laws administered by the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,codification of         
effective dates for claims under the    
laws administered by the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,definitions    
7#a7 ,in general ,section #eajj of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended 
to read as follows3  #eajj4 ,definitions
 ,in this chapter3  7#a7 ,the term      
claimant means any individual applying  
for1 or submitting a claim for1 any     
benefit under the laws administered by  
the ,secretary4  7#b7 ,the term claim   
means a communication in writing        

requesting a determination of           
entitlement or evidencing a belief in   
entitlement to a benefit under the laws 
administered by the ,secretary4  7#c7   
,the term formal claim means a claim    
submitted on an application form        
prescribed by the ,secretary4  7#d7 ,the
 term informal claim means a            
communication in writing requesting a   
determination of entitlement or         
evidencing a belief in entitlement1 to a
 benefit under the laws administered by 
the ,secretary that--  7,a7 is submitted
 in a format other than on an           
application form prescribed by the      
,secretary2  7,b7 indicates an intent to
 apply for one or more benefits under   
the laws administered by the ,secretary2
  7,c7 identifies the benefit sought2   
7,d7 is made or submitted by a claimant1
 his or her duly authorized             
representative1 a ,member of ,congress1 
or another person acting on behalf of a 
claimant who meets the requirements     
established by the ,secretary for such  

purpose2 and  7,e7 may include a report 
of examination or hospitalization1 if   
the report relates to a disability which
 may establish such an entitlement4     
7#e7 ,the term reasonably raised claim  
means evidence of an entitlement to a   
benefit under the laws administered by  
the ,secretary that is not explicitly   
raised in a claim but that is logically 
placed at issue upon a sympathetic      
reading of the claim and the record     
developed with respect to the claim4  4 
7#b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of  
sections at the beginning of chapter #ea
 of such title is amended by striking   
the item relating to section #eajj and  
inserting the following new item3       
#eajj4 ,definitions4  4  7b7 ,informal  
claims ,section #eaja7;a7 of such title 
is amended by adding at the end the     
following new paragraph3  7#c7 7,a7     
,upon receipt of an informal claim1 if a
 formal claim has not been filed1 the   
,secretary shall provide the claimant   
with an application form on which the   

claimant may submit a formal claim4 ,in 
addition to all relevant communications 
relating to any claim1 the ,secretary   
shall maintain in the claim file a dated
 copy of the letter accompanying the    
application form sent to the claimant   
under this subparagraph4  7,b7 ,an      
informal request for increase or        
reopening of a claim shall be accepted  
and treated in the same manner as a     
formal claim4  4  7c7 ,effective dates  
,section #eaaj7;a7 of such title is     
amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,unless and  
inserting 7#a7 ,unless2 and  7#b7 by    
adding at the end the following new     
paragraph3  7#b7 ,in determining the    
date of the receipt of an application   
for any benefit purposes of this        
section1 the ,secretary shall consider  
an application to be filed on the date  
on which an informal communication      
relating to such benefit is submitted1  
as long as the person claiming or       
applying for the benefit files an       
application by not later than #ahj days 

after the date on which the ,secretary  
furnishes the person the necessary      
application forms under section #eajb of
 this title4 ,if the person claiming or 
applying for the benefit fails to file  
an application by the date that is #ahj 
days after the date on which the        
,secretary furnishes the person such    
necessary application forms1 the        
,secretary shall consider the           
application to be filed on the date on  
which the completed application form is 
submitted4  4  7d7 ,reasonably raised   
claims  7#a7 ,in general ,chapter #ea of
 such title is amended by inserting     
after section #eajc;,a the following new
 section3  #eajc;,b4 ,treatment of      
reasonably raised claims ,the ,secretary
 shall identify1 address1 and adjudicate
 reasonably raised claims that are      
placed at issue in the course of        
addressing or adjudicating any claim1   
including evidence relating to entirely 
separate conditions never identified as 
part of a formal claim4  4  7#b7        

,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by inserting after   
the item relating to section #eajc;,a   
the following new item3  #eajc;,b4      
,treatment of reasonably raised claims4 
4  7e7 ,effective date ,the amendments  
made by this ,act shall take effect on  
the date of the enactment of this ,act  
and shall apply with respect to a claim 
submitted on or after such date4