,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #eee #aafth         
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #ebde
  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the        
,,united ,,states  ,september #bd1      
#bjbj,received2 read twice and placed on
 the calendar  ,,an ,,act  ,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       
,prohibition of debt arising from       
overpayment due to delay in processing  
by the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs
  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 ,prohibition of    

debt arising from overpayment due to    
delay in processing  7a7 ,limitation ,no
 individual may incur a debt to the     
,united ,states that-- 7#a7 arises from 
any program or benefit administered by  
the ,under ,secretary for ,benefits2 and
  7#b7 is attributable to the failure of
 an employee or official of the         
,department to process information      
provided by or on behalf of that        
individual within applicable timeliness 
standards established by the ,secretary4
  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 
overpayment4 ,such notice shall include 
an explanation of the right of the      
individual to dispute the overpayment or
 to request a waiver of indebtedness4   
7c7 ,delay on collection ,the ,secretary
 may not take any action under section  
#cgaa of title #ca regarding an         
overpayment described in a notice under 

subsection 7b7 until the date that is   
#ij days after the date the ,secretary  
issues such notice4  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 ,prohibition of debt arising
 from overpayment due to delay in       
processing4  4  7#c7 ,deadline ,the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
prescribe regulations to establish      
standards under section #ecjb;,b7a77#b7 
of such title1 as added by subsection   
7a71 not later than #ahj days after the 
date of the enactment of this ,act4  7b7
 ,plan for improved notification and    
communication of debts ,not later than  
#ahj days after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act1 and one year    
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 implementation 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 implementation 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 clarification 

of ,department communications relating  
to overpayments and debt collection1    
including letters and electronic        
correspondence4 ,the ,secretary shall   
develop such improvements and           
clarifications in consultation with     
veterans service organizations and other
 relevant non-governmental              
organizations4  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 ,threshold for        
reporting debts to consumer reporting   
agencies  7a7 ,in general ,chapter #ec  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended by adding after section #ecai   
the following new section3  #ecbj4      
,threshold for reporting debts to       
consumer reporting agencies ,the        
,secretary shall prescribe regulations  
that establish the minimum amount of a  
claim or debt1 arising from a benefit   
administered by the ,under ,secretary   
for ,benefits or ,under ,secretary for  
,health1 that the ,secretary will report
 to a consumer reporting agency under   
section #cgaa of title #ca4  4  7b7     
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections at the beginning of such       

chapter is amended by adding after the  
item relating to section #ecai the      
following new item3  #ecbj4 ,threshold  
for reporting debts to consumer         
reporting agencies4  4  7c7 ,deadline   
,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall prescribe regulations under       
section #ecbj of such title1 as added by
 subsection 7a71 not later than #ahj    
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act4  #d4 ,removal of dependents  
from award of compensation or pension   
,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall ensure that-- 7#a7 a veteran may  
remove any dependent from an award of   
compensation or pension to the veteran  
using the e,benefits system of the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 or a 
successor system2 and  7#b7 such removal
 takes effect not later than #fj days   
after the date on which the veteran     
makes such removal4  #e4 ,determination 
of budgetary effects ,the budgetary     
effects of this ,act1 for the purpose of
 complying with the ,statutory          

,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj1 shall  
be determined by reference to the latest
 statement titled ,budgetary ,effects of
 ,,paygo ,legislation for this ,act1    
submitted for printing in the           
,congressional ,record by the ,chairman 
of the ,house ,budget ,committee1       
provided that such statement has been   
submitted prior to the vote on passage4 
,passed the ,house of ,representatives  
,september #bc1 #bjbj4;,cheryl ,l4      
,johnson1,clerk  ,september #bd1        
#bjbj,received2 read twice and placed on
 the calendar