,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cdeb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #g1  
#bjbc,mr4 ,tester 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 determine the eligibility or
 entitlement of a member or former      
member of the ,armed ,forces described  
in subsection 7a7 to a benefit under a  
law administered by the ,secretary      
solely based on alternative sources of  
evidence when the military service      
records or medical treatment records of 
the member or former member are         
incomplete because of damage or loss of 
records after being in the possession of
 the ,federal ,government1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,fred ,hamilton     
,veterans' ,lost ,records ,act4  #b4    
,authority ,to determine eligibility and
 entitlement to veterans benefits using 

alternative sources of evidence when    
service records are incomplete because  
of damage or loss after being in        
possession of ,federal ,government  7a7 
,authority ,to determine eligibility and
 entitlement to benefits using          
alternative sources of evidence ,the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs may    
determine the eligibility or entitlement
 of a member or former member of the    
,armed ,forces to a benefit under a law 
administered by the ,secretary solely   
based on alternative sources of evidence
 in a case in which the military service
 records or medical treatment records of
 the member or former member are        
incomplete because of damage or loss of 
records after being in the possession of
 the ,federal ,government4  7b7         
,regulations ,not later than one year   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs1 in consultation with the      
,secretary of ,defense and the          
,archivist of the ,united ,states1 shall

 promulgate regulations regarding the   
use by the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs of alternative sources of      
evidence under subsection 7a74  7c7     
,effective dates of awards ,in the case 
of a claim of a member or former member 
of the ,armed ,forces with military     
service records or medical treatment    
records described in subsection 7a71    
paragraph 7#b7 of section #eaaj7;a7 of  
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall 
apply except for any limitation based on
 the date of a request1 supplemental    
claim1 or notice described in such      
paragraph4  7d7 ,alternative source of  
evidence defined ,in this section1 the  
term alternative sources of evidence    
means-- 7#a7 in the case of a former    
member of the ,armed ,forces1 a medical 
disability examination occurring soonest
 after the former member's date of      
discharge or release from service in the
 active military1 naval1 air1 or space  
service2  7#b7 in the case of a claim   
regarding a disability incurred or      

aggravated during service in the active 
military1 naval1 air1 or space service1 
the assertion of former member of the   
,armed ,forces regarding the            
circumstances surrounding its incurrence
 or aggravation2  7#c7 a credible buddy 
statement2 or  7#d7 such other sources  
of evidence or processes as the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs deems  
appropriate for purposes of determining 
eligibility or entitlement under        
subsection 7a74