,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abjc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #f1       
#bjae,mr4 ,heller 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,casey1 ,mr4 ,moran1 ,mr4 ,manchin1 ,mr4
 ,toomey1 ,mr4 ,heinrich1 ,mr4 ,vitter1 
,mr4 ,tester1 and ,ms4 ,collins7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to improve the processing
 by the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs of claims for benefits under   
laws administered by the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title2 table of   
contents  7a7 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the #bast ,century      
,veterans ,benefits ,delivery ,act4  7b7
 ,table of contents ,the table of       
contents for this ,act is as follows3   
,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of        
contents4 ,,title ,i--,benefits claims  
submission ,sec4 #aja4 ,improvements to 

,transition ,assistance ,program4 ,sec4 
#ajb4 ,requirement that decisions on    
claims explain advantages of filing     
appeals within #ahj days4 ,sec4 #ajc4   
,determination of manner of appearance  
for hearings before ,board of ,veterans'
 ,appeals4 ,,title ,,ii--,practices of  
regional offices ,sec4 #bja4 ,required  
,comptroller ,general audit of regional 
offices of ,veterans ,benefits          
,administration4 ,sec4 #bjb4            
,requirement for management training    
program for veterans service center     
managers of ,veterans ,benefits         
,administration4 ,sec4 #bjc4 ,analysis  
of communication between regional       
offices of ,department of ,veterans     
,affairs and veterans service           
organizations and ,congressional        
caseworkers4 ,sec4 #bjd4 ,review of     
practices of regional offices regarding 
use of suspense dates4 ,sec4 #bje4      
,annual report on capacity of ,veterans 
,benefits ,administration to process    
benefits claims4 ,sec4 #bjf4            

,requirement to complete efforts to     
revise resource allocation model of     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4 ,sec4
 #bjg4 ,semiannual report on progress in
 implementing ,veterans ,benefits       
,management ,system4 ,sec4 #bjh4 ,report
 on plans of ,secretary of ,veterans    
,affairs to reduce inventory of claims  
for dependency and indemnity            
compensation and claims for pension4    
,sec4 #bji4 ,increased transparency in  
,monday ,morning ,workload ,report4     
,sec4 #baj4 ,reports on appeals of      
decisions on benefits claims4 ,sec4     
#baa4 ,modification of pilot program for
 use of contract physicians for         
disability examinations4 ,,title        
,,iii--,government response ,sec4 #cja4 
,increased cooperation across           
,government4 ,sec4 #cjb4 ,report on     
interoperability between electronic     
health records systems of ,department of
 ,defense and ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs4  ,i ,benefits claims          
submission  #aja4 ,improvements to      

,transition ,assistance ,program  7a7   
,modification ,to enable online access  
,section #aadd of title #aj1 ,united    
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following new subsection3   
7f7 ,online access  7#a7 ,the ,secretary
 of ,labor1 in conjunction with the     
,secretary of ,defense1 the ,secretary  
of ,homeland ,security1 and the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 shall 
take such actions and make such         
modifications to the e,benefits         
,internet website as may be necessary to
 ensure that members of the armed forces
 and spouses described in subsection    
7a77#a7 can access materials from the   
program carried out under this section  
through an ,internet website4  7#b7 ,an 
individual subject to a requirement     
under subsection 7c7 may not satisfy    
such requirement by participating in the
 program carried out under this section 
solely through an ,internet website4  4 
7b7 ,participation of veterans service  
organizations  7#a7 ,sense of ,congress 

,it is the sense of ,congress that the  
,secretary of ,defense1 in collaboration
 with the ,secretary of ,labor1 the     
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 and  
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1   
should establish a process by which a   
representative of a veterans service    
organization may be present at any      
portion of the program carried out under
 section #aadd of title #aj1 ,united    
,states ,code1 relating to the submittal
 of claims to the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs for compensation     
under chapter #aa or #ac of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code4  7#b7 ,report    
7,a7 ,in general ,not later than one    
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense   
shall submit to ,congress a report on   
participation of veterans service       
organizations in the program carried out
 under section #aadd of title #aj1      
,united ,states ,code4  7,b7 ,contents  
,the report required by subparagraph    
7,a7 shall include the following3 7i7   

,an assessment of the compliance of     
facilities of the ,department of        
,defense with the directives included in
 the memorandum of the ,secretary of    
,defense entitled ,installation ,access 
and ,support ,services for ,nonprofit   
,non-,federal ,entities and dated       
,december #bc1 #bjad4  7ii7 ,the number 
of military bases that have complied    
with such directives4  7iii7 ,how many  
veterans service organizations have been
 present at a portion of a program as   
described in paragraph 7#a74  7#c7      
,veterans service organization defined  
,in this subsection1 the term veterans  
service organization means any          
organization recognized by the          
,secretary for the representation of    
veterans under section #eijb of title   
#ch4  #ajb4 ,requirement that decisions 
on claims explain advantages of filing  
appeals within #ahj days ,section       
#eajd7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by inserting   
7#a7 before ,in the case2 and  7#b7 by  

striking the second sentence and        
inserting the following new paragraph3  
7#b7 ,the notice shall include the      
following3  7,a7 ,an explanation of the 
procedure for obtaining review of the   
decision4  7,b7 ,an explanation of the  
advantages of filing for review of the  
decision within #ahj days4  4  #ajc4    
,determination of manner of appearance  
for hearings before ,board of ,veterans'
 ,appeals  7a7 ,in general ,section     
#gajg of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code1 is amended--  7#a7 by striking   
subsection 7e72  7#b7 by redesignating  
subsections 7d7 and 7f7 as subsections  
7f7 and 7g71 respectively2  7#c7 by     
inserting after subsection 7c7 the      
following new subsections 7d7 and 7e73  
7d7 7#a7 ,subject to paragraph 7#b71 a  
hearing before the ,board shall be      
conducted1 as the ,board considers      
appropriate--  7,a7 in person2 or  7,b7 
through picture and voice transmission1 
by electronic or other means1 in such   
manner that the appellant is not present

 in the same location as the members of 
the ,board during the hearing4  7#b7    
,upon request by an appellant1 a hearing
 before the ,board shall be conducted1  
as the appellant considers appropriate--
  7,a7 in person2 or  7,b7 through      
picture and voice transmission as       
described in paragraph 7#a77;,b74  7e7  
7#a7 ,in a case in which a hearing      
before the ,board is to be conducted    
through picture and voice transmission  
as described in subsection 7d77#a77;,b71
 the ,secretary shall provide suitable  
facilities and equipment to the ,board  
or other components of the ,department  
to enable an appellant located at an    
appropriate facility within the area    
served by a regional office to          
participate as so described4  7#b7 ,any 
hearing conducted through picture and   
voice transmission as described in      
subsection 7d77#a77;,b7 shall be        
conducted in the same manner as1 and    
shall be considered the equivalent of1 a
 personal hearing4  2 and  7#d7 in      

subsection 7f77#a71 as redesignated by  
paragraph 7#b71 by striking ,an         
appellant may request and all that      
follows through office of the           
,department and inserting ,in a case in 
which a hearing before the ,board is to 
be conducted in person1 the hearing     
shall be held at the principal location 
of the ,board or at a facility of the   
,department located within the area     
served by a regional office of the      
,department44  7b7 ,effective date ,the 
amendment made by subsection 7a7 shall  
apply with respect to cases received by 
the ,board of ,veterans' ,appeals       
pursuant to notices of disagreement     
submitted on or after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act4  ,,ii ,practices
 of regional offices  #bja4 ,required   
,comptroller ,general audit of regional 
offices of ,veterans ,benefits          
,administration  7a7 ,in general ,not   
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    

,states shall complete an audit of the  
regional offices of the ,veterans       
,benefits ,administration--  7#a7 to    
assess the consistency of decisions     
being made with respect to claims for   
benefits under laws administered by the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs2 and   
7#b7 to identify ways in which the      
consistency of such decisions can be    
improved4  7b7 ,identification of       
factors and best practices ,the audit   
conducted under subsection 7a7 shall    
include the following3  7#a7            
,identification of the factors1         
including management practices1 that    
distinguish higher performing regional  
offices from other regional offices4    
7#b7 ,identification of best practices  
employed by higher performing regional  
offices that distinguish the performance
 of such offices from other regional    
offices4  7c7 ,report ,not later than   
#ij days after the date on which the    
,comptroller ,general completes the     
audit required by subsection 7a71 the   

,comptroller ,general shall submit to   
,congress a report on the results of the
 audit4  #bjb4 ,requirement for         
management training program for veterans
 service center managers of ,veterans   
,benefits ,administration ,the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
establish a training program for        
veterans service center managers1 or for
 employees in successor positions in    
regional offices of the ,veterans       
,benefits ,administration1 on matters   
concerning managerial skills and such   
other skills as the ,secretary considers
 appropriate for such managers4  #bjc4  
,analysis of communication between      
regional offices of ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs and veterans service 
organizations and ,congressional        
caseworkers  7a7 ,in general ,the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
ensure that each systemic analysis of   
operations that is completed by a       
veterans service center manager in a    
regional office of the ,department of   

,veterans ,affairs includes an analysis 
of the communication between the        
regional office and veterans service    
organizations and caseworkers employed  
by ,members of ,congress4  7b7 ,veterans
 service organization defined ,in this  
section1 the term veterans service      
organization means any organization     
recognized by the ,secretary for the    
representation of veterans under section
 #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states    
,code4  #bjd4 ,review of practices of   
regional offices regarding use of       
suspense dates  7a7 ,review required    
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,inspector ,general of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall conduct a   
review of the practices of regional     
offices of the ,department regarding the
 use of suspense dates during the       
disability claim assessment process4    
7b7 ,report ,not later than #bgj days   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,inspector ,general of the    

,department shall submit to ,congress a 
report on the findings of the ,inspector
 ,general with respect to the review    
conducted under subsection 7a74  7c7    
,suspense date defined ,in this section1
 the term suspense date means a measure 
used by the ,veterans ,benefits         
,administration to set incremental      
deadlines for disability claims as they 
progress through the disability claim   
assessment process4  #bje4 ,annual      
report on capacity of ,veterans         
,benefits ,administration to process    
benefits claims  7a7 ,in general ,along 
with the supporting information included
 in the budget submitted by the         
,president for fiscal year #bjag        
pursuant to section #aaje7;a7 of title  
#ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 and with the
 supporting information included in each
 budget submittal under such section    
thereafter1 the ,president shall include
 a report that the ,secretary of        
,veterans ,affairs shall prepare on the 
capacity of the ,veterans ,benefits     

,administration to process claims for   
benefits under laws administered by the 
,secretary during the fiscal year       
covered by the budget with which the    
report is submitted4  7b7 ,contents     
,each report submitted under subsection 
7a7 shall include1 for the period       
covered by the report1 the following3   
7#a7 ,the number of claims for benefits 
under laws administered by the          
,secretary that the ,secretary expects  
the ,veterans ,benefits ,administration 
to process4  7#b7 ,the number of        
full-time equivalent employees of the   
,veterans ,benefits ,administration who 
are dedicated to processing such claims4
  7#c7 ,an estimate of the average      
number of such claims a single full-time
 equivalent employee of the             
,administration can process in a year1  
based on a time and motion study that   
the ,secretary shall conduct on the     
processing of such claims4  7#d7 ,an    
assessment of whether the               
,administration requires additional or  

fewer full-time equivalent employees to 
process such claims during the next     
one-year1 five-year1 and ten-year       
periods4  7#e7 ,a description of the    
actions the ,secretary will take to     
improve the processing of such claims4  
7#f7 ,an assessment of the actions      
identified by the ,secretary in the     
previous report submitted under         
subsection 7a7 and identification of the
 effects of those actions4  7c7 ,public 
availability ,the ,secretary shall make 
each report required by subsection 7a7  
available to the public on an ,internet 
website of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs4  #bjf4 ,requirement to        
complete efforts to revise resource     
allocation model of ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,not
 later than #ahj days after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
complete the efforts of the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs to revise the     
resource allocation model of the        

,veterans ,benefits ,administration4    
7b7 ,report ,not later than #ahj days   
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 a report on the        
resource allocation model revised       
pursuant to subsection 7a74  #bjg4      
,semiannual report on progress in       
implementing ,veterans ,benefits        
,management ,system  7a7 ,in general    
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act and not  
less frequently than once every #ahj    
days thereafter until the date that is  
three years after the date of the       
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall submit to   
,congress a report on the progress of   
the ,secretary in implementing the      
,veterans ,benefits ,management ,system4
  7b7 ,contents ,the report required by 
subsection 7a7 shall include the        

following3 7#a7 ,an assessment of the   
current functionality of the ,veterans  
,benefits ,management ,system4  7#b7    
,recommendations submitted to the       
,secretary by employees of the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs who   
are involved in processing claims for   
benefits under laws administered by the 
,secretary1 including veteran service   
representatives1 rating veteran service 
representatives1 and decision review    
officers1 for such legislative or       
administrative action as the employees  
consider appropriate to improve the     
processing of such claims4  7#c7        
,recommendations submitted to the       
,secretary by veterans service          
organizations who use the ,veterans     
,benefits ,management ,system for such  
legislative or administrative action as 
the veterans service organization       
consider appropriate to improve such    
system4  #bjh4 ,report on plans of      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
reduce inventory of claims for          

dependency and indemnity compensation   
and claims for pension ,not later than  
#ij days after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary of        
,veterans ,affairs shall submit to      
,congress a report that details the     
plans of the ,secretary to reduce the   
inventory of--  7#a7 claims submitted to
 the ,secretary for compensation under  
chapter #ac of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code2 and  7#b7 claims         
submitted to the ,secretary for pension 
under chapter #ae of such title4  #bji4 
,increased transparency in ,monday      
,morning ,workload ,report  7a7         
,disaggregation of claims by decisions  
requiring disability rating ,the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
include in each ,monday ,morning        
,workload ,report published by the      
,secretary the number of claims for     
benefits under laws administered by the 
,secretary that have been received by a 
regional office of the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs and are pending a    

decision1 disaggregated by--  7#a7      
claims that have been pending for more  
than #abe days2  7#b7 claims that have  
been pending for #abe days or fewer2 and
  7#c7 claims that do not require a     
decision concerning a disability rating4
  7b7 ,inclusion of information on      
assignment of partial ratings ,the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
include in each ,monday ,morning        
,workload ,report published by the      
,secretary in the portion of the report 
entitled ,transformation and in the     
portion of the report entitled          
,aggregate the number of partial ratings
 assigned4  7c7 ,report on fully        
developed claims ,the ,secretary of     
,veterans ,affairs shall include in each
 ,monday ,morning ,workload ,report     
published by the ,secretary the         
following3  7#a7 ,the total number of   
fully developed claims for benefits     
under laws administered by the          
,secretary that--  7,a7 have been       
received by a regional office of the    

,department of ,veterans ,affairs2 and  
7,b7 are pending a decision4  7#b7 ,the 
total number of such claims that have   
been pending for more than #abe days1   
disaggregated by station4  7d7 ,station 
defined ,in this section1 the term      
station means the location of a regional
 office of the ,department where claims 
for disability compensation are         
processed4  #baj4 ,reports on appeals of
 decisions on benefits claims  7a7      
,public availability ,the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs shall make the       
reports of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs entitled ,appeals ,pending and 
,appeals ,workload ,by ,station         
available to the public on an ,internet 
website of the ,department4  7b7        
,appeals granted by station ,the        
,secretary shall include in one of the  
reports described in subsection 7a7 the 
percentage of appeals granted by        
station4  7c7 ,claims previously        
adjudicated by ,appeals ,management     
,center ,the ,secretary shall include in

 one of the reports described in        
subsection 7a7 the percentage of claims 
previously adjudicated by the ,appeals  
,management ,center that were either    
subsequently granted or remanded by the 
,board of ,veterans' ,appeals4  7d7     
,station defined ,in this section1 the  
term station means the location of a    
regional office of the ,department where
 claims for disability compensation are 
processed4  #baa4 ,modification of pilot
 program for use of contract physicians 
for disability examinations ,section    
#ejd of the ,veterans' ,benefits        
,improvement ,act of #aiif 7,public ,law
 #ajd-bge2 #ch ,u4,s4,c4 #eaja note7 is 
amended--  7#a7 by redesignating        
subsections 7c7 and 7d7 as subsections  
7d7 and 7e71 respectively2 and  7#b7 by 
inserting after subsection 7b7 the      
following new subsection 7c73  7c7      
,licensure of contract physicians  7#a7 
,in general ,notwithstanding any law    
regarding the licensure of physicians1 a
 physician described in paragraph 7#b7  

may conduct an examination pursuant to a
 contract entered into under subsection 
7a7 at any location in any ,state1 the  
,district of ,columbia1 or a            
,commonwealth1 territory1 or possession 
of the ,united ,states1 so long as the  
examination is within the scope of the  
authorized duties under such contract4  
7#b7 ,physician described ,a physician  
described in this paragraph is a        
physician who-- 7,a7 has a current      
license to practice the health care     
profession of the physician2 and  7,b7  
is performing authorized duties for the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
pursuant to a contract entered into     
under subsection 7a74  4  ,,iii         
,government response  #cja4 ,increased  
cooperation across ,government  7a7     
,appointment of liaisons  7#a7          
,department of ,defense ,the ,secretary 
of ,defense shall appoint individuals as
 follows3 7,a7 ,at least one individual 
to act as a liaison under this section  
between the ,department of ,defense and 

the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  
7,b7 ,at least one individual for each  
of the reserve components of the ,armed 
,forces to act as a liaison under this  
section between the respective component
 of the ,armed ,forces and the          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7
 ,national ,archives and ,records       
,administration ,the ,archivist of the  
,united ,states shall appoint at least  
one individual to act as a liaison under
 this section between the ,national     
,archives and ,records ,administration  
and the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs4  7b7 ,duties of liaisons ,each
 individual acting as a liaison under   
this section shall expedite the timely  
provision to the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs of such information as the    
,secretary requires to process claims   
submitted to the ,secretary for benefits
 under laws administered by the         
,secretary4  7c7 ,procedures  7#a7 ,in  
general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans    
,affairs1 the ,secretary of ,defense1   

and the ,archivist of the ,united       
,states shall jointly develop and       
implement procedures to improve the     
timely provision to the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs of such information  
as the ,secretary requires to process   
claims submitted to the ,secretary for  
benefits under laws administered by the 
,secretary4  7#b7 ,timely provision ,the
 procedures developed and implemented   
under paragraph 7#a7 shall ensure that  
the information provided to the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs is     
provided to the ,secretary not later    
than #cj days after the date on which   
the ,secretary requests the information4
  7d7 ,annual reports ,not less         
frequently than once each year1 the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to ,congress a report on--  7#a7 
the requests for information made by the
 ,secretary during the most recent      
one-year period for information from the
 ,secretary of ,defense and the         
,archivist of the ,united ,states       

required by the ,secretary of ,veterans 
,affairs to process claims submitted to 
the ,secretary for benefits under laws  
administered by the ,secretary2 and     
7#b7 the timeliness of responses to such
 requests4  #cjb4 ,report on            
interoperability between electronic     
health records systems of ,department of
 ,defense and ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs ,not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of ,defense and the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
jointly submit to ,congress a report    
that sets forth a timeline with         
milestones for achieving                
interoperability between the electronic 
health records systems of the           
,department of ,defense and the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4