,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdjg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1     
#bjai,mr4 ,daines introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to provide criminal penalties for       
individuals acting as agents or         
attorneys for the preparation1          
presentation1 or prosecution of a claim 
under a law administered by the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs without
 being recognized by the ,secretary for 
such purposes1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,improvements relating to           
recognition by ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs of agents and attorneys to     
represent veterans  7a7 ,penalties for  
representing without recognition by     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs  7#a7  
,in general ,section #eije of title #ch1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended to   
read as follows3  #eije4 ,penalty for   

certain acts ,whoever commits any of the
 following acts shall be fined as       
provided in title #ah1 or imprisoned for
 not more than one year1 or both3  7#a7 
,acts or tries to act as an agent or    
attorney for the preparation1           
presentation1 or prosecution of a claim 
under a law administered by the         
,secretary--  7,a7 without recognition  
by the ,secretary as an agent or        
attorney under section #eijd of this    
title2 or  7,b7 while suspended or      
excluded under subsection 7b7 of such   
section4  7#b7 ,the act of unlawfully   
withholding from any claimant or        
beneficiary any part of a benefit or    
claim under the laws administered by the
 ,secretary that is allowed and due to  
the claimant or beneficiary4  4  7#b7   
,effective date ,the amendment made by  
paragraph 7#a7 shall apply with respect 
to acts committed after the date that is
 #ahj days after the date of the        
enactment of this ,act4  7b7 ,renewal of
 recognition ,subsection 7a7 of section 

#eijd of such title is amended by adding
 at the end the following new paragraph3
  7#g7 7,a7 ,recognition under this     
section shall be for such period as the 
,secretary considers appropriate1 but   
not for any period greater than five    
years4  7,b7 ,the ,secretary may1 as the
 ,secretary considers appropriate1 renew
 a recognition of an individual under   
this section for a term specified       
pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 upon      
submittal to the ,secretary by the      
individual of an application therefor4  
7,c7 ,upon after receiving an           
application of an individual for renewal
 under subparagraph 7,b7 and before     
renewing such recognition under such    
subparagraph1 the ,secretary shall      
review--  7i7 the preparation1          
presentation1 and prosecution of claims 
by the individual covered by this       
section2 and  7ii7 any fee agreements of
 the individual for such preparation1   
presentation1 and prosecution that have 
been disputed4  4  7c7 ,notice relating 

to fees ,subsection 7c7 of such section 
is amended by adding at the end the     
following new paragraph3  7#e7 7,a7 ,an 
individual recognized under this section
 who enters into a fee agreement with a 
person to act as an agent or attorney   
for the person in a manner covered by   
this section shall notify the person of 
the person's rights under this          
subsection1 especially with respect to  
the right to make a request under       
paragraph 7#c77;,a74  7,b7 ,notification
 under this paragraph shall be both     
verbal and in writing1 with the writing 
initialed or signed by the person to    
acknowledge that the person understands 
his or her rights under this subsection4
  4  7d7 ,biennial reviews by ,general  
,counsel of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs ,such section is amended by   
adding at the end the following new     
subsection3  7e7 ,biennial reviews by   
,general ,counsel  7#a7 ,not less       
frequently than once every two years1   
the ,general ,counsel of the ,department

 shall submit to ,congress a report on  
activities under this section4  7#b7    
,each report submitted under            
subparagraph 7,a7 shall include1 for the
 period covered by the report1 the      
following3  7,a7 ,a discussion of the   
rates generally charged for services    
covered by this section4  7,b7 ,a       
discussion of the requests made by      
claimants under subsection 7c77#c77;,a74
  7,c7 ,a discussion of the fees reduced
 under such subsection4  7,d7 ,the      
number of claims for benefits under laws
 administered by the ,secretary that    
were prepared1 presented1 or prosecuted 
by an individual acting as an agent or  
attorney who did so while not recognized
 under this section4  4