,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebde  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #ba1       
#bjai,mr4 ,pappas 7for himself and ,mr4 
,rose of ,new ,york7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to provide for a bar on  
the recovery of certain payments or     
overpayments made by the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs by reason of delays  
in processing of certain information1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,stopping ,harm and ,implementing       
,enhanced ,lead-time for ,debts for     
,veterans ,act or the ,,shield for      
,veterans ,act4  #b4 ,bar to recovery of
 certain payments or overpayments made  
by ,department of ,veterans ,affairs by 
reason of delays in processing of       
certain information  7a7 ,bar to        
recovery  7#a7 ,in general ,chapter #ec 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 

amended by inserting after section      
#ecjb;,a the following new section3     
#ecjb;,b4 ,bar to recovery of certain   
payments or overpayments  7a7           
,limitation ,the ,secretary may not     
collect all or any part of an amount    
owed to the ,united ,states by any      
individual under any program under the  
laws administered by the ,secretary if  
the amount is owed for any payment or   
overpayment that was caused by the      
amount of time taken by the ,department1
 or by any employee of the ,department1 
to process information provided by or on
 behalf of the individual4  7b7 ,notice 
to beneficiary ,if the ,secretary       
determines that the ,secretary has made 
an overpayment to an individual1 the    
,secretary shall provide notice to the  
individual of the overpayment and of any
 action the ,secretary plans to take to 
collect repayment for the overpayment or
 to reduce any benefit of the individual
 by reason of the overpayment by not    
later than #ij days before taking such  

action4 ,such notice shall include an   
explanation of the right of the         
individual to dispute the overpayment or
 to request a waiver of indebtedness4  4
  7#b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of
 sections at the beginning of such      
chapter is amended by inserting after   
the item relating to section #ecjb;,a   
the following new item3  #ecjb;,b4 ,bar 
to recovery of certain payments or      
overpayments4  4  7b7 ,plan for improved
 notification and communication of debts
 ,not later than ,may #a1 #bjbj1 and #ab
 months thereafter1 the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs shall submit to      
,congress a report on the improvement of
 the notification of and communication  
with individuals who receive            
overpayments made by the ,secretary4    
,such report shall include each of the  
following3  7#a7 ,the plan of the       
,secretary to carry out each of the     
following3 7,a7 ,the development and    
implementation1 by not later than       
,january #ca1 #bjbj1 of a mechanism by  

which individuals enrolled in the       
patient enrollment system under section 
#agje of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code1 may view their monthly patient   
medical statements electronically4  7,b7
 ,the development and implementation1 by
 not later than ,april #cj1 #bjbj1 of a 
mechanism by which individuals eligible 
for benefits under the laws administered
 by the ,secretary may receive          
electronic correspondence relating to   
debt and overpayment information4  7,c7 
,the development and implementation1 by 
not later than ,october #a1 #bjbb1 of a 
mechanism by which individuals eligible 
for benefits under the laws administered
 by the ,secretary may access           
information related to ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs debt electronically4 
7,d7 ,the improvement and clarification1
 by not later than ,march #ca1 #bjbj1   
and in consultation with veterans       
service organizations and other relevant
 non-governmental organizations1 of     
,department communications relating to  

overpayments and debt collection1       
including letters and electronic        
correspondence4  7,e7 ,the development  
and implementation1 by not later than   
,october #a1 #bjbb1 of a mechanism by   
which veterans may update their         
dependency information electronically4  
7#b7 ,a description of the current      
efforts and plans for improving the     
accuracy of payments to individuals     
entitled to benefits under the laws     
administered by the ,secretary1         
including specific data matching        
agreements4  7#c7 ,a description of     
steps to be taken to improve the        
identification of underpayments to such 
individuals and to improve ,department  
procedures and policies to ensure that  
such individuals who are underpaid      
receive adequate compensation payments4 
7#d7 ,a list of actions completed1      
implementation steps1 and timetables for
 each requirement described in          
paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#c74  7#e7 ,a  
description of any new legislative      

authority required to complete any such 
requirement4  #c4 ,prohibition on       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
interest and administrative cost charges
 for debts relating to certain benefits 
programs  7a7 ,in general ,section      
#ecae7;a77#a7 of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 by    
striking other than a loan and all that 
follows through the semicolon and       
inserting other than--2 and  7#b7 by    
adding at the end the following new     
subparagraphs3  7,a7 a loan1            
loan-guaranty1 or loan-insurance        
program2  7,b7 a disability compensation
 program2  7,c7 a pension program2 or   
7,d7 an educational assistance program4 
4  7b7 ,effective date ,the amendments  
made by subsection 7a7 shall apply with 
respect to an indebtedness that occurs  
on or after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act4