,i  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gcdj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #ac1       
#bjbd,mr4 ,stanton 7for himself and     
,mrs4 ,lesko7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to make certain          
improvements to the laws relating to the
 recognition of agents1 attorneys1      
organizations and their representatives1
 and other individuals for the purposes 
of assisting in the preparation1        
presentation1 and prosecution of claims 
for benefits under the laws administered
 by the ,secretary of ,veterans         
,affairs1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,accurate ,,va ,accreditation       
,information ,act4  #b4 ,annual report  
7a7 ,in general ,chapter #ei of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following new  
sections3  #eijg4 ,annual submission of 

information on recognition of agents1   
attorneys1 organizations and their      
representatives1 and other individuals  
,the ,secretary shall include in the    
annual report required to be submitted  
to ,congress under section #ebi of this 
title information on agents1 attorneys1 
organizations and their representatives1
 and any other individuals recognized   
under this chapter4 ,such information   
shall include1 for the year covered by  
the report1 the following3 7#a7 ,a      
description of the type and frequency of
 training that is required to be        
recognized1 or to continue to be        
recognized1 under this chapter and of   
any review or audit conducted of such   
training4  7#b7 ,a description of the   
type of information the ,secretary      
collects from individuals who request to
 be recognized1 or to continue to be    
recognized1 under this chapter4  7#c7 ,a
 description of the method the          
,secretary uses to gather personal and  
qualifying information from individuals 

and organizations recognized or seeking 
recognition under this chapter4  7#d7   
,an identification of the frequency with
 which the ,secretary receives updated  
personal and qualifying information from
 individuals and organizations          
recognized under this chapter4  7#e7 ,a 
description of the method the ,secretary
 uses to verify personal and qualifying 
information received from individuals   
and organizations recognized or seeking 
recognition under this chapter4  7#f7   
,an identification of the frequency with
 which individuals and organizations    
recognized under this chapter are       
required to comply with ongoing         
reporting requirements4  7#g7 ,an       
identification of the number of         
,department employees responsible for   
the administration of this chapter4     
7#h7 ,an identification of the frequency
 with which the ,,va ,accreditation     
,search database1 or any successor to   
such database1 is-- 7,a7 updated2 and   
7,b7 checked for accuracy1 including    

with respect to the accuracy of contact 
information and the removal of          
individuals and organizations no longer 
recognized to assist veterans in the    
preparation1 presentation1 or           
prosecution of claims under laws        
administered by the ,secretary4  7#i7 ,a
 description of the steps the ,secretary
 has taken to ensure such database is   
updated4  7#aj7 ,an identification of   
any additional resources the ,department
 may need to ensure that-- 7,a7 any     
published information regarding         
individuals and organizations recognized
 under this chapter is accurate and     
up-to date2 and  7,b7 individuals who   
are recognized under this chapter are of
 good moral character and in good       
repute1 are qualified to render         
claimants valuable service1 and are     
otherwise competent to assist claimants 
in presenting claims under laws         
administered by the ,secretary4  7#aa7  
,an identification of the costs of      
processing applications for recognition 

under this chapter4  7#ab7 ,a           
description of the timeline for         
processing applications for recognition 
under this chapter4  7#ac7 ,an          
identification of how frequently        
individuals seeking recognition under   
this chapter are denied such recognition
 and for what reasons4  7#ad7 ,an       
identification of how frequently        
recognition is rescinded from           
individuals recognized under this       
chapter and for what reasons4  #eijh4   
,certification mark for identification  
of recognized individuals  7a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans    
,affairs shall establish and maintain a 
certification mark1 which may be used to
 identify individuals who are recognized
 under this chapter for the purposes of 
assisting in the preparation1           
presentation1 and prosecution of claims 
for benefits under the laws administered
 by the ,secretary4 ,such certification 
mark shall be registered with the       
,united ,states ,patent and ,trademark  

,office4  7b7 ,civil penalty for        
violation  7#a7 ,a person who displays  
or otherwise uses the certification mark
 established under subsection 7a7 for   
the fraudulent purpose of inducing the  
belief that the person is recognized    
under this chapter for the purposes of  
assisting in the preparation1           
presentation1 and prosecution of claims 
for benefits under the laws administered
 by the ,secretary shall be fined in    
accordance with title #ah1 imprisoned1  
or both4  7#b7 ,this subsection shall   
not make unlawful the use of any such   
emblem1 sign1 insignia or words which   
was lawful on the date of enactment of  
this section4  7#c7 ,amounts collected  
as civil penalties pursuant to this     
subsection shall remain available for   
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1  
without fiscal year limitation1 for the 
purpose of enforcing paragraph 7#a74  4 
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by inserting after   

the item relating to section #eijf the  
following new items3  #eijg4 ,annual    
submission of information on recognition
 of agents1 attorneys1 organizations and
 their representatives1 and other       
individuals4#eijh4 ,certification mark  
for identification of recognized        
individuals4  4  #c4 ,biannual database 
accuracy ,not later than #ahj days after
 the date on which the ,secretary       
submits the first report under section  
#ebi of title #ch1 ,united ,states      
,code1 that includes the information    
required to be submitted under section  
#eijg of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code1 as added by section #b1 and      
annually thereafter1 the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs shall-- 7#a7 provide 
to each individual recognized under     
chapter #ei of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 a notice that includes a 
request to update the contact           
information of the individual provided  
to the ,department of ,veterans         
,affairs2  7#b7 make publicly available 

instructions such individuals may use to
 update such contact information2 and   
7#c7 ensure the ,,va ,accreditation     
,search ,database is updated to include 
updated contact information4  #d4       
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated for    
fiscal year #bjbd and each of the next  
four fiscal years for the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs such sums as may be 
necessary to-- 7#a7 carry out this ,act 
and the amendments made by this ,act2   
and  7#b7 employ four additional        
full-time employees of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs to perform        
functions to carry out this ,act and the
 amendments made by this ,act4