,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bhhd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ag1      
#bjah,mrs4 ,fischer 7for herself1 ,mr4  
,tester1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,mr4
 ,heller1 and ,mr4 ,rubio7 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 develop a standard letter   
format to be provided to individuals who
 are indebted to the ,united ,states by 
virtue of their participation in        
benefits programs administered by the   
,secretary1 to provide notice of debt by
 electronic means to such individuals   
when so elected1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,veterans ,fair ,debt      
,notice ,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs notice relating to
 debt collection activities  7a7 ,debt  
notification letter formats ,the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  

collaborate with veterans service       
organizations to develop a standard     
format for any letter provided to       
individuals who the ,secretary          
determines are indebted to the ,united  
,states by virtue of such person's      
participation in a benefits program     
administered by the ,secretary4 ,such   
letter shall be written in plain        
language and shall include a notice of  
the debt and a clear explanation of--   
7#a7 why the individual is indebted to  
the ,united ,states by virtue of such   
person's participation in a benefits    
program administered by the ,secretary2 
and  7#b7 the options available to the  
individual4  7b7 ,delivery of debt      
notices by standard mail and electronic 
means ,the ,secretary shall develop a   
method by which individuals may elect to
 receive notice of debt by electronic   
means and shall ensure1 to the extent   
practicable1 that the letter developed  
under subsection 7a7 is delivered--     
7#a7 by both standard mail and by       

electronic means to intended recipients 
who have made such an election2 and     
7#b7 only by standard mail to intended  
recipients who have not made such an    
election4  7c7 ,notice to ,congress     
7#a7 ,notices of completion ,upon       
completion of the development of the    
standard letter format required under   
subsection 7a7 and upon completion of   
development of the method under         
subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall    
submit to ,congress notice of the       
completion of the development4  7#b7    
,progress reports ,if the ,secretary has
 not submitted each notice required by  
paragraph 7#a7 by the date that is #ij  
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall--  7,a7 
submit to ,congress a report describing 
the progress of the ,secretary toward   
implementing subsections 7a7 and 7b7 and
 an explanation for why the respective  
development has not been completed2 and 
7,b7 every #cj days thereafter until all
 of the notices required by paragraph   

7#a7 have been submitted1 submit to     
,congress an update to the report under 
subparagraph 7,a7 that includes an      
additional explanation for the failure  
to complete the respective development4 
7d7 ,study and report  7#a7 ,study ,the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in    
coordination with the ,secretary of the 
,treasury1 shall conduct a study on the 
process by which individuals who are    
indebted to the ,united ,states by      
virtue of their participation in a      
benefits program administered by the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs are    
notified of debt collection efforts     
relating to such indebtedness4  7#b7    
,elements ,the study required by        
paragraph 7#a7 shall include the        
following3  7,a7 ,an analysis of the    
scope of the problem of individuals who 
are indebted to the ,united ,states by  
virtue of their participation in a      
benefits program administered by the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs not    
receiving debt collection notices       

relating to such indebtedness4  7,b7    
,identification of administrative       
actions the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs and the ,secretary of the      
,treasury can carry out to reduce the   
number of incorrect or unknown addresses
 of such individuals in the databases of
 the ,department ,veterans ,affairs and 
the ,department of the ,treasury and a  
timeline for carrying out such actions4 
7,c7 ,an estimate of the costs          
associated with sending debt collection 
notices to such individuals by certified
 mail4  7,d7 ,an analysis of whether1 or
 to what extent1 sending debt collection
 notices to such individuals by         
certified mail would address the problem
 analyzed under subparagraph 7,a74  7,e7
 ,an analysis of the requirements and   
resources that would be necessary to    
develop the capability for creating a   
single consolidated snapshot of a       
veteran's debt4  7,f7 ,an analysis of   
the extent to which individuals indebted
 to the ,united ,states by virtue of    

their participation in a benefits       
program administered by the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs are so indebted as
 a result of an error1                  
misrepresentation1 or fraud by such     
individuals4  7#c7 ,report ,not later   
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs1 in coordination  
with the ,secretary of the ,treasury1   
shall submit to ,congress a report on   
the findings of the ,secretaries with   
respect to the study conducted under    
paragraph 7#a74