#aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #dgga  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend title  
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to permit   
appellants to appear in cases before the
 ,board of ,veterans' ,appeals by       
picture and voice transmission from     
locations other than facilities of the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,,va     
,tele-,hearing ,modernization ,act4  #b4
 ,hearings before the ,board of         
,veterans' ,appeals by means of         
teleconference from locations other than
 facilities of the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general     
,section #gajg7;c77#b7 of title #ch1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended--     
7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by inserting 
or subparagraph 7,c7 of this paragraph  
after subparagraph 7,b7 of such         
paragraph2  7#b7 in subparagraph 7,b71  
by inserting or subparagraph 7,c7 of    
this paragraph after subparagraph 7,a7  
of such paragraph2 and  7#c7 by adding  

at the end the following new            
subparagraph 7,c73  7,c7 7i7 ,upon      
notification of a ,board hearing under  
subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b7 of paragraph  
7#a71 the appellant may alternatively   
request a hearing by picture and voice  
transmission--  7,i7 at a location      
selected by the appellant2 and  7,,ii7  
via a secure internet platform          
established and maintained by the       
,secretary that protects sensitive      
personal information from a data breach4
  7ii7 ,if an appellant makes a request 
under clause 7i71 the ,board shall grant
 such request4  4  7b7 ,deadline for    
implementation ,the ,secretary shall    
implement the amendments made by        
subsection 7a7 not later than #ahj days 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  7c7 ,reporting  7#a7 ,annual     
reporting requirements ,section         
#gaja7;d77#b7 of such title is amended--
 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,e71 by striking 
2 and and inserting a semicolon2  7,b7  
in subparagraph 7,f71 by striking the   

period at the ending and inserting 2    
and2 and  7,c7 by adding at the end the 
following new subparagraph3  7,g7 with  
respect to hearings scheduled under     
section #gajg7;c77#b77;,c7 of this      
title-- 7i7 the number of hearings      
scheduled under such section2  7ii7 the 
number of hearings under such section   
that were cancelled2 and  7iii7 any     
statistical difference in outcomes      
between cases heard under such section  
and those held at the principal location
 of the ,board or by picture and voice  
transmission at a facility of the       
,department4  4  7#b7 ,one-time         
reporting requirements ,the first report
 required to be submitted under section 
#gaja7;d7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code1 shall include the following      
information with respect to hearings    
scheduled under subparagraph 7,c7 of    
paragraph 7#b7 of subsection 7c7 of     
section #gaja of such title1 as added by
 subsection 7a73 7,a7 ,an outline of the
 outreach the ,secretary of ,veterans   

,affairs plans to conduct to inform     
veterans1 families of veterans1         
survivors of veterans1 veterans service 
organizations1 military service         
organizations1 congressional            
caseworkers1 advocates for veterans1 and
 such other stakeholders as the         
,secretary considers appropriate about  
hearings scheduled under such           
subparagraph1 including--  7i7 a        
description of the resources required to
 conduct such outreach2  7ii7 a timeline
 for conducting such outreach2 and      
7iii7 information related to the        
advantages and potential technological  
challenges of conducting hearings under 
such subparagraph4  7,b7 ,a description 
of any modifications to the information 
technology systems of the ,veterans     
,benefits ,administration and the ,board
 of ,veterans' ,appeals required to     
carry out hearings under such           
subparagraph1 including cost estimates  
and a timeline for making such          
modifications4  7,c7 ,a detailed        

description of the intra-agency         
partnership between the ,board of       
,veterans' ,appeals and the telehealth  
program of the ,veterans ,health        
,administration as the ,board conducts  
hearings under such subparagraph1       
including best practices1 a risk        
assessment overview1 risk mitigation    
efforts1 and a plan for ongoing         
collaboration and information sharing4  
7d7 ,collaboration ,in developing the   
capacity and procedures to conduct      
hearings under subparagraph 7,c7 of     
paragraph 7#b7 of subsection 7c7 of     
section #gaja of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a71 the ,secretary of ,veterans        
,affairs shall collaborate with1 partner
 with1 and give weight to the advice of 
veterans service organizations and such 
other stakeholders as the ,secretary    
considers appropriate4  ,passed the     
,house of ,representatives ,november    
#ab1 #bjai4;,clerk4