,i #aad? ,,congress #a/ ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hjj ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,( ,,repres5tatives ,febru>y #e1 #bjae ,mr4 ,o',r\rke 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,mill] ( ,florida1 ,mr4 ,cook1 ,ms4 ,br[n ( ,florida1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mrs4 ,kirkpatrick1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 & ,ms4 ,br[nley ( ,cali=nia7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,vet]ans' ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to direct ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs to c>ry out a pilot program to provide vet]ans ! option ( us+ an alt]native appeals process to m quickly det]m9e claims = disability comp5sation4 #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,express ,appeals ,act4 #b4 ,pilot program on fully develop$ appeals 7a7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs %all c>ry out a pilot program to provide ! option ( an alt]native appeals process t %all m quickly det]m9e su* appeals 9 accordance ) ?is section4 7b7 ,election 7#a7 ,fil+ ,9 accordance ) p>agraph 7#b71 a claimant may elect to file a fully develop$ appeal "u ! pilot program "u subsection 7a7 by fil+ ) ! ,secret>y ! foll[+3 7,a7 ,! notice ( disagreem5t "u *apt] #ga ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1 along ) ! writt5 election ( ! claimant to h ! appeal det]m9$ "u ! pilot program4 7,b7 ,all evid5ce t ! claimant believes is ne$$ = ! appeal z ( ! date ( ! fil+4 7,c7 ,a /atem5t ( ! argum5t 9 support ( ! claim1 if any4 7#b7 ,tim+ ,a claimant %all make an election "u p>agraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 if ! claimant has fil$ a traditional appeal ) respect to ! claim = disability comp5sation be=e ! date on :i* ! pilot program "u subsection 7a7 comm5ces1 at any "t dur+ ! traditional appeal process1 not)/&+ p>agraph 7#a77;,a72 or 7,b7 if ! claimant has n s fil$ a traditional appeal ) respect to ! claim = disability comp5sation be=e su* date1 z "p ( ! notice ( disagreem5t fil$ by ! claimant 9 accordance ) p>agraph 7#a77;,a74 7#c7 ,*ange ( process+ ,if a claimant describ$ 9 p>agraph 7#b77;,a7 seeks to elect to make an election "u p>agraph 7#a7 to *ange a traditional appeal to a fully develop$ appeal1 ! ,secret>y %all-- 7,a7 in=m ! claimant ( :e!r1 9 light ( su* traditional appeal be+ process$1 ! claimant w a*ieve any "t sav+s ?r\gh su* a fully develop$ appeal2 & 7,b7 if ! claimant elects to file su* fully develop$ appeal1 process ! fully develop$ appeal 9 accordance ) ?is section to ! ext5t practicable4 7#d7 ,rev]sion ,at any "t1 a claimant :o makes an election "u p>agraph 7#a7 may elect to rev]t to ! traditional appeals process )\t any p5alty to ! claimant o!r ?an ! loss ( ! docket numb] associat$ ) ! fully develop$ appeal4 7#e7 ,use ( fully develop$ appeal ,a claimant may only make an election "u p>agraph 7#a7 ) respect to a claim = disability comp5sation fil$ by ! claimant t is n1 ) respect to a claim previ\sly decid$ by fully develop$ appeal1 a petition to reop5 ! claim or a sep>ate claim = an increas$ rat+ = ! claim4 7#f7 ,outrea* ,9 provid+ claimants ) notices ( ! det]m9ation ( a claim dur+ ! p]iod 9 :i* ! pilot program "u subsection 7a7 is c>ri$ out1 ! ,secret>y %all provide to ! claimant in=mation reg>d+-- 7,a7 ! pilot program2 7,b7 h[ to make an election "u p>agraph 7#a72 7,c7 :at docum5ts ! claimant mu/ provide dur+ ! c\rse ( ! appeals process2 & 7,d7 ! ability ( ! claimant to seek advice & education reg>d+ su* process f vet]ans s]vice organizations & attorneys recogniz$ "u *apt] #ei ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code4 7c7 ,treatm5t by ,dep>tm5t & ,bo>d 7#a7 ,process ,^u ! election ( a claimant to file a fully develop$ appeal pursuant to subsection 7b77#a71 ! ,secret>y %all-- 7,a7 n provide ! claimant ) a /atem5t ( ! case nor require ! claimant to file a sub/antive appeal2 & 7,b7 transf] jurisdiction ov] ! fully develop$ appeal directly to ! ,bo>d ( ,vet]ans' ,appeals4 7#b7 ,docket 7,a7 ,! ,bo>d ( ,vet]ans' ,appeals %all-- 7i7 ma9ta9 fully develop$ appeals on a sep>ate docket ?an traditional appeals2 7ii7 he> fully develop$ appeals 9 ! ord] t ! fully develop$ appeals are receiv$ on ! fully develop$ appeal docket2 7iii7 except z provid$ by subp>agraph 7,b71 decide n m ?an "o fully develop$ appeal = ea* f\r traditional appeals decid$2 & 7iv7 to ! ext5t practicable1 decide ea* fully develop$ appeal by ! date t is "o ye> foll[+ ! date on :i* ! claimant files ! notice ( disagreem5t4 7,b7 ,beg9n+ "o ye> aft] ! date on :i* ! pilot program "u subsection 7a7 comm5ces1 ! ,bo>d may adju/ ! numb] ( traditional appeals decid$ = ea* fully develop$ appeal "u subp>agraph 7,a77iii7 if ! ,bo>d det]m9es t su* adju/m5t is fair = bo? traditional appeals & fully develop$ appeals4 7#c7 ,limitation on use ( new evid5ce ,a claimant may n submit to ! ,bo>d ( ,vet]ans' ,appeals any new evid5ce relat+ to a fully develop$ appeal aft] fil+ su* appeal unless ! claimant rev]ts to ! traditional appeals process pursuant to subsection 7b77#d74 7#d7 ,prohibition on rem& to regional (fice ,if ! ,bo>d ( ,vet]ans' ,appeals det]m9es t a fully develop$ appeal requires ,f$]al records1 indep5d5t m$ical op9ions1 or new m$ical exams1 ! ,bo>d %all-- 7,a7 9 accordance ) p>agraph 7#e71 take su* actions z may be necess>y to develop su* records1 op9ions1 or exams2 7,b7 reta9 jurisdiction ( ! fully develop$ appeal )\t requir+ a det]m9ation by ! ,vet]ans ,b5efits ,adm9i/ration bas$ on su* records1 op9ions1 or exams2 7,c7 ensure ! claimant receives a copy ( su* records1 op9ions1 or exams2 & 7,d7 provide ! claimant a p]iod ( #de days aft] ! receipt ( su* records1 op9ions1 or exams to provide ! ,bo>d any additional evid5ce4 7#e7 ,developm5t unit 7,a7 ,! ,bo>d ( ,vet]ans' ,appeals %all e/abli% an (fice to develop ,f$]al records1 indep5d5t m$ical op9ions1 & new m$ical exams pursuant to p>agraph 7#d77;,a7 t ! ,bo>d det]m9es necess>y to decide a fully develop$ appeal4 7,b7 ,! ,secret>y %all-- 7i7 ensure t ! ,vet]ans ,b5efits ,adm9i/ration coop]ates ) ! ,bo>d ( ,vet]ans' ,appeals 9 c>ry+ out subp>agraph 7,a72 & 7ii7 transf] employees ( ! ,appeals ,managem5t ,c5t] ( ! ,vet]ans ,b5efits ,adm9i/ration to ! (fice ( ! ,bo>d e/abli%$ "u subp>agraph 7,a7 9 a numb] t ! ,secret>y det]m9es suffici5t to c>ry out su* subp>agraph4 7#f7 ,he>+s ,not)/&+ section #gajg ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1 ! ,bo>d ( ,vet]ans' ,appeals may n provide he>+s ) respect to fully develop$ appeals4 ,a claimant may reque/ to hold a he>+ pursuant to su* section #gajg if ! claimant rev]ts to ! traditional appeals process pursuant to subsection 7b77#d74 7d7 ,duration2 application ,! ,secret>y %all c>ry out ! pilot program "u subsection 7a7 = a five-ye> p]iod beg9n+ "o ye> aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act4 ,?is section %all apply only to fully develop$ appeals t are fil$ dur+ su* p]iod4 7e7 ,reports ,dur+ ea* ye> 9 :i* ! pilot program "u subsection 7a7 is c>ri$ out1 ! ,secret>y %all submit to ! ,committees on ,vet]ans' ,affairs ( ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives & ! ,s5ate a report on ! pilot program4 ,! fir/ su* report %all be submitt$ by n lat] ?an #ahj days aft] ! date on :i* ! pilot program comm5ces4 ,ea* report %all include-- 7#a7 a recomm5dation = any *anges to improve ! pilot program2 & 7#b7 an assessm5t ( ! feasibility & advisability ( exp&+ ! pilot program4 7f7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is section3 7#a7 ,! t]m claimant has ! mean+ giv5 t t]m 9 section #eajj ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code4 7#b7 ,! t]m comp5sation has ! mean+ giv5 t t]m 9 section #aja ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code4 7#c7 ,! t]m fully develop$ appeal means an appeal ( a claim = disability comp5sation t is-- 7,a7 fil$ by a claimant 9 accordance ) subsection 7b77#a72 & 7,b7 consid]$ 9 accordance ) ?is section4 7#d7 ,! t]m traditional appeal means an appeal ( a claim = disability comp5sation t is n a fully develop$ appeal4