,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cjha  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ba1     
#bjaf,mr4 ,cassidy 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,kirk1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 and ,mr4        
,johnson7 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 provide certain       
employees of ,members of ,congress with 
access to case-tracking information of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,working to ,integrate ,networks
 ,guaranteeing ,member ,access ,now ,act
 or the ,,wingman ,act4  #b4 ,provision 
of access by employees of ,members of   
,congress to case-tracking information  
to case-tracking information of         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,in general ,chapter #ei of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  #eijf4
 ,provision of access by employees of   

,members of ,congress to case-tracking  
information  7a7 ,in general  7#a7      
,beginning not later than the date that 
is #ahj days after the date of the      
enactment of this section1 the          
,secretary shall provide to accredited1 
permanent ,congressional employees who  
have successfully completed the         
certification process described in      
subsection 7b77#a71 upon election by the
 ,member of ,congress for which the     
employee works1 read-only remote access 
to the electronic ,,vba claims records  
system of veterans who reside in the    
area represented by the ,member1        
regardless of whether such employee is  
acting under a power of attorney        
executed by such veteran4  7#b7 ,the    
,secretary shall ensure that access     
provided to an accredited1 permanent    
,congressional employee under paragraph 
7#a7 is provided in a manner that does  
not allow the employee to modify the    
data contained in the electronic ,,vba  
claims records system4  7b7             

,certification required  7#a7 ,the      
certification process described in this 
paragraph is the certification process  
that the ,secretary requires an agent or
 attorney under this chapter to complete
 before the agent or attorney may access
 the electronic ,,vba claims records    
system4  7#b7 ,each ,member of ,congress
 who elects to have an accredited1      
permanent ,congressional employee of the
 ,member have access under subsection   
7a77#a7 shall bear the cost of the      
certification process described in      
paragraph 7#a71 to be paid from the     
,member's ,representational ,allowance4 
7c7 ,treatment of disclosure ,the access
 to information by an accredited1       
permanent ,congressional employee       
pursuant to subsection 7a77#a7 shall be 
deemed to be--  7#a7 a disclosure       
permitted under section #eeb;a7b7 of    
title #e2 and  7#b7 a disclosure        
permitted under regulations promulgated 
under section #bfd7;c7 of the ,health   
,insurance ,portability and             

,accountability ,act of #aiif 7,public  
,law #ajd-aia2 #db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;d-#b 
note74  7d7 ,nonrecognition ,the        
,secretary may not recognize an         
accredited1 permanent ,congressional    
employee for the preparation1           
presentation1 and prosecution of claims 
under laws administered by the          
,secretary by reason of the ,secretary  
providing the employee with access to   
the electronic ,,vba claims records     
system under subsection 7a74 ,an        
accredited1 permanent ,congressional    
employee who is provided such access may
 not use such access to act as such a   
recognized individual4  7e7 ,definitions
 ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the term       
electronic ,,vba claims records system  
means the system of the ,department of  
,veterans ,affairs that provides        
information regarding the status of a   
claim submitted by a veteran1 including 
information regarding medical records1  
compensation and pension exams records1 
rating decisions1 statement of the case 

7,,soc71 supplementary statement of the 
case 7,,ssoc71 notice of disagreement   
7,,nod71 and ,form-#i4  7#b7 ,the term  
accredited1 permanent ,congressional    
employee means an employee of a ,member 
of ,congress who assists the            
constituents of the ,member with issues 
regarding departments or agencies of the
 ,federal ,government4  7#c7 ,the term  
,member of ,congress means a            
,representative1 a ,senator1 a ,delegate
 to ,congress1 or the ,resident         
,commissioner of ,puerto ,rico4  4  7b7 
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of chapter #ei
 of such title is amended by adding at  
the end the following new item3  #eijf4 
,provision of access by employees of    
,members of ,congress to case-tracking  
information4  4