#aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #dahc  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct the   
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states to conduct a study on disability
 and pension benefits provided to       
members of the ,national ,guard and     
members of reserve components of the    
,armed ,forces by the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,identifying        
,barriers and ,best ,practices ,study   
,act4  #b4 ,comptroller ,general study  
on disability and pension benefits      
provided to members of the ,national    
,guard and members of reserve components
 of the ,armed ,forces by the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,in general ,not later than #cf months  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the  
,united ,states shall complete a study  
on disability and pension benefits      
provided to members of the ,national    
,guard and members of reserve components

 of the ,armed ,forces by the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4 ,in  
conducting such study1 the ,comptroller 
,general shall review1 for the period   
beginning on ,january #a1 #bjjh1 and    
ending on ,december #ca1 #bjah1 each of 
the following3  7#a7 ,the number of     
members of the ,national ,guard and the 
number of members of reserve components 
of the ,armed ,forces who received      
disability compensation or pension      
provided by the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs4  7#b7 ,a comparison of each  
of the following between veterans who   
served only in the ,national ,guard or  
reserve components and veterans who     
served in the regular components of the 
,armed ,forces3  7,a7 ,the percentage of
 each group of such veterans with       
service-connected disabilities4  7,b7   
,the number of veterans in each group   
with each disability rating4  7,c7 ,the 
number of veterans in each group with a 
service-connected disability1 including 
the number of each of the following     

types of such veterans in each group3   
7i7 ,pilots4  7ii7 ,veterans who served 
in the special forces4  7iii7 ,veterans 
who participated in the ,personnel      
,reliability ,program4  7iv7 ,veterans  
who underwent diving or flight physicals
 as a regular component of their service
 in the ,armed ,forces and who have a   
muscular-skeletal or mental health      
condition4  7,d7 ,the number of total   
claims for disability compensation and  
pension submitted1 approved1 and        
disapproved for each group of veterans4 
7#c7 ,an identification of common       
barriers for members of the ,national   
,guard and members of reserve components
 in obtaining disability benefits under 
the laws administered by the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs1 including        
barriers relating to documentation of   
injuries incurred while serving1 such as
 line of duty letters4  7b7 ,reports    
7#a7 ,preliminary report ,not later than
 #ah months after the date of the       
enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller

 ,general shall submit to the           
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and ,house of               
,representatives a preliminary report on
 the findings of the study required by  
subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,final report     
,upon completion of the study1 the      
,comptroller ,general shall submit to   
such ,committees a final report on such 
study4  ,passed the ,house of           
,representatives ,december #ag1         
#bjai4;,clerk4