,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #affd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ah1 #bjba
 ,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself and ,mr4  
,rounds7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs to take certain      
actions to improve the processing by the
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs of   
claims for disability compensation for  
post-traumatic stress disorder1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs ,post-,traumatic     
,stress ,disorder ,processing ,claims   
,improvement ,act of #bjba4  #b4        
,improving processing by ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs of disability claims 
for post-traumatic stress disorder  7a7 
,training for claims processors who     
handle claims relating to               
post-,traumatic stress disorder  7#a7   
,update training programs ,not later    

than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall1 acting     
through the ,under ,secretary for       
,benefits1 update an ongoing1 national  
training program for claims processors  
who review claims for compensation for  
service-connected post-traumatic stress 
disorder4  7#b7 ,participation required 
,beginning on the date that is #ahj days
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary shall require that
 each claims processor described in     
paragraph 7#a7 participates in the      
training established under paragraph    
7#a7 at least once each year beginning  
in the second year in which the claims  
processor carries out the duties of the 
claims processor for the ,department4   
7#c7 ,required elements ,the training   
established under paragraph 7#a7 shall  
include instruction on stressor         
development and verification4  7b7      
,standardization of training at regional
 offices ,not later than #ahj days after

 the date of the enactment of this ,act1
 the ,secretary1 acting through the     
,under ,secretary1 shall standardize the
 training provided at regional offices  
of the ,veterans ,benefits              
,administration to the employees of such
 regional offices4  7c7 ,formal process 
for conduct of annual analysis of trends
 ,not later than #ahj days after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary1 acting through the ,under   
,secretary1 shall establish a formal    
process to analyze1 on an annual basis1 
training needs based on identified      
processing error trends4  7d7 ,formal   
process for conduct of annual studies   
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj   
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary1 acting       
through the ,under ,secretary1 shall    
establish a formal process to conduct1  
on an annual basis1 studies to help     
guide the national training program     
established under subsection 7a77#a74   
7#b7 ,elements ,each study conducted    

under paragraph 7#a7 shall cover the    
following3  7,a7 ,military              
post-traumatic stress disorder          
stressors4  7,b7 ,decisionmaking claims 
for claims processors4  7e7 ,annual     
updates to post-,traumatic stress       
disorder procedural guidance ,not later 
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act and not less     
frequently than once each year          
thereafter1 the ,secretary1 acting      
through the ,under ,secretary1 shall    
evaluate the guidance relating to post  
traumatic stress disorder to determine  
if updates are warranted to provide     
claims processors of the ,department    
with better resources regarding best    
practices for claims processing1        
including specific guidance regarding   
development of claims involving         
compensation for service-connected      
posttraumatic stress disorder4