,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajga  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ab1    
#bjba,mr4 ,cruz introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
carry out a pilot program to provide    
pension claim enhancement assistance to 
individuals submitting claims for       
pension from the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,veterans           
,application ,assistance ,inefficiency  
,decrease ,act of #bjba or the ,,va     
,,aid ,act of #bjba4  #b4 ,pilot program
 to provide claim enhancement assistance
 to individuals submitting claims for   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
pension  7a7 ,pilot program authorized  
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  

commence carrying out a pilot program to
 assess the feasibility and advisability
 of providing claim enhancement         
assistance to individuals applying for  
pension under subchapter ,,ii or ,,iii  
of chapter #ae of title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 in order to reduce the   
backlog of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs for claims for pension under   
such chapter and to expedite claims     
processing by-- 7#a7 improving the      
efficiency of the claims submittal      
process2 and  7#b7 proactively engaging 
claimants with claim enhancement        
services prior to submission of their   
claims4  7b7 ,claim enhancement         
assistance ,for purposes of this        
subsection1 claim enhancement assistance
 includes1 with respect to submitting   
claims described in subsection 7a71 the 
following3 7#a7 ,consultive services to 
assess and advise claimants based upon a
 review of each claimant's specific     
circumstances4  7#b7 ,assistance in     
gathering all necessary supporting      

documentation for the submission4  7#c7 
,the creation of a fully developed      
application ready to be submitted to the
 ,pension ,management ,centers of the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs with  
postal tracking4  7#d7 ,such other      
assistance and services as the          
,secretary considers appropriate for    
purposes of the pilot program4  7c7     
,contract ,the ,secretary shall carry   
out the pilot program by entering into a
 contract with one eligible entity to   
provide1 as part of the pilot program1  
claim enhancement assistance to         
individuals and spouses applying for    
pension under subchapter ,,ii or ,,iii  
of chapter #ae of title #ch1 ,united    
,state ,code4  7d7 ,eligible entities   
,for purposes of this section1 an       
eligible entity is any entity that--    
7#a7 is not part of the ,department of  
,veterans ,affairs2  7#b7 specializes in
 matters relating to one specific       
benefit exclusively for five or more    
years that is provided under laws       

administered by the ,secretary1 such as 
pension under chapter #ae of such title2
  7#c7 does not engage in the promotion 
or sale of financial products of any    
type1 including annuities2  7#d7 is not 
affiliated with any entity that is      
engaged in promotion or sale described  
in paragraph 7#c72  7#e7 does not manage
 the assets of veterans or the survivors
 of veterans2  7#f7 is not a fiduciary  
7as defined in section #eejf of such    
title7 for any person submitting a claim
 for pension under chapter #ae of such  
title or in receipt of pension under    
such chapter2  7#g7 is not a fiduciary  
under section #eejb of such title2  7#h7
 has at least one owner that is         
recognized by the ,secretary under      
section #eijd of such title as an agent 
or attorney for the preparation1        
presentation1 and prosecution of claims 
under laws administered by the          
,secretary2  7#i7 does not provide      
health care for a claimant receiving    
claim enhancement assistance from the   

entity as part of the pilot program2 and
  7#aj7 demonstrates to the ,secretary  
that it has the ability to provide claim
 enhancement assistance in sufficient   
volume by having current systems1       
processes1 and procedures in place that 
are of sufficient scale4  7e7 ,duration 
,the ,secretary shall carry out the     
pilot program during the three-year     
period beginning on the date of the     
commencement of the pilot program4  7f7 
,review1 study1 and report by           
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states ,not later than #ij days after  
the date of the completion of the pilot 
program1 the ,comptroller ,general of   
the ,united ,states shall-- 7#a7        
complete a review of the pilot program2 
7#b7 complete a study on the feasibility
 and advisability of permanently        
extending claim enhancement services to 
individuals and spouses applying for    
pension under subchapter ,,ii or ,,iii  
of chapter #ae of such title2 and  7#c7 
submit to ,congress a report on the     

findings of the ,comptroller ,general   
with respect to the review conducted    
under paragraph 7#a7 and the study      
conducted under paragraph 7#b74  7g7    
,rule of construction ,nothing in this  
section shall be construed-- 7#a7 to    
limit the right of a veteran to apply   
for pension under chapter #ae of title  
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code2 or  7#b7 to 
authorize the ,secretary to limit such  
right4