,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ecbe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ad1 
#bjbd,mr4 ,blumenthal 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 promote assistance from persons      
recognized by the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs for individuals who  
file certain claims under laws          
administered by the ,secretary1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,veterans      
,claims ,education ,act of #bjbd4  #b4  
,promotion of assistance from persons   
recognized by the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs for individuals who  
file certain claims under laws          
administered by the ,secretary  7a7     
,notice to claimants of available       
assistance from recognized persons      
,section #eajc;,a of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by     

redesignating subsections 7g7 through   
7i7 as subsections 7i7 through 7k71     
respectively2  7#b7 by inserting after  
subsection 7f7 the following new        
subsections3  7g7 ,notice regarding     
availability of representation by       
accredited persons ,upon receipt of an  
initial claim by a claimant not         
represented by an accredited person1 the
 ,secretary shall provide notice to the 
claimant that-- 7#a7 an accredited      
person may be able to represent the     
claimant2  7#b7 a veterans service      
organization recognized under section   
#eijb of this title may represent the   
claimant at no charge to the claimant2  
7#c7 provides the website address of the
 online tool maintained under subsection
 7h72 and  7#d7 provides the website    
address of an appropriate and publicly  
accessible website of the ,department   
through which a claimant may report--   
7,a7 a person1 who is not an accredited 
person1 who represented the claimant2   
and  7,b7 any fee charged by such person

 for such representation4  7h7 ,online  
listing of accredited persons  7#a7 ,the
 ,secretary shall maintain an online    
tool that allows a claimant to search a 
list of accredited persons who represent
 claimants4  7#b7 ,the ,secretary shall 
ensure that such list is current at     
least once each calendar quarter4  7#c7 
,the ,secretary shall ensure that such  
tool is easily accessible to a claimant4
  2 and  7#c7 by adding at the end the  
following new subsection3  7l7          
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term accredited person means-- 7,a7 a  
veterans service organization recognized
 under section #eijb of this title2 or  
7,b7 an attorney1 agent1 or other person
 recognized under section #eijd of this 
title4  7#b7 ,the term represent means  
to prepare1 present1 or prosecute a     
claim under a law administered by the   
,secretary on behalf of a claimant4  4  
7b7 ,online information regarding       
persons that assist claimants ,the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  

include1 in each website portal of the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1      
through which an individual may file a  
claim for a benefit administered by the 
,under ,secretary for ,benefits or the  
,under ,secretary for ,health1 a warning
 regarding fees an agent or attorney may
 charge such individual for assistance  
in filing such claim4 ,such warning     
shall include the following3 7#a7 ,a    
link to the online maintained under     
subsection 7h7 of section #eajc;,a of   
such title1 as amended by subsection    
7a74  7#b7 ,a link to the website of the
 ,department described in subparagraph  
7,d7 of section #eajc;,a7f77#a7 of such 
title1 as amended by subsection 7a74    
7c7 ,report ,not later than #ahj days   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7       
complete a review the regulations1      
processes1 and procedures of the        
,department of ,veterans ,affairs that  
pertain to recognition under section    
#eijd of title #ch1 ,united ,states     

,code2  7#b7 develop recommendations for
 legislative or administrative action to
 improve such regulations1 processes1   
and procedures2 and  7#c7 submit to the 
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report containing the
 findings of the ,secretary with respect
 to the review completed under paragraph
 7#a7 and the recommendations developed 
under paragraph 7#b74