#aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #ggie  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend title  
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to improve  
the ability of veterans to access and   
submit disability benefit questionnaire 
forms of the ,department of ,veterans   
,affairs4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,veterans ,benefits 
,fairness and ,transparency ,act of     
#bjbj4  #b4 ,publication and acceptance 
of disability benefit questionnaire     
forms of ,department of ,veterans       
,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,section #eaja
 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 amended--  7#a7 by redesignating       
subsection 7d7 as subsection 7e72 and   
7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7c7  
the following new subsection 7d73  7d7  
7#a7 ,the ,secretary shall publish in a 
central location on the internet website
 of the ,department disability benefit  
questionnaire forms1 or such successor  
forms relating to non-,department       
medical providers submitting evidence   
regarding a disability of a claimant4   

7#b7 ,subject to section #fajc of this  
title1 if the ,secretary updates a form 
described in paragraph 7#a71 the        
,secretary shall--  7,a7 accept the     
previous version of the form filed by a 
claimant if-- 7i7 the claimant provided 
to the non-,department medical provider 
the previous version of the form before 
the date on which the updated version of
 the form was made available2 and  7ii7 
the claimant files the previous version 
of the form during the one-year period  
following the date the form was         
completed by the non-,department medical
 provider2  7,b7 request from the       
claimant any other information that the 
updated version of the form requires2   
and  7,c7 apply the laws and regulations
 required to adjudicate the claim as if 
the claimant filed the updated version  
of the form4  7#c7 ,the ,secretary may  
waive any interagency approval process  
required to approve a modification to a 
disability benefit questionnaire form if
 such requirement only applies by reason

 of the forms being made public under   
paragraph 7#a74  7#d7 ,not less         
frequently than once each year through  
#bjbf1 the ,inspector ,general of the   
,department shall submit to ,congress a 
report on the findings of the ,inspector
 ,general with respect to the use of the
 forms described in paragraph 7#a74  4  
7b7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in   
section #eaja of title #ch1 ,united     
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a71 may be construed to require the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
develop any new information technology  
system or otherwise require the         
,secretary to make any significant      
changes to the internet website of the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4      
,passed the ,house of ,representatives  
,september #bb1 #bjbj4;,clerk4