#aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #ajci  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to seek
 to enter into an agreement with a      
federally funded research and           
development center for an assessment of 
notice letters that the ,secretary sends
 to claimants for benefits under laws   
administered by the ,secretary1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,clear         
,communication for ,veterans ,claims    
,act4  #b4 ,independent assessment of   
notices that the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs sends to claimants  7a7       
,agreement ,not later than #cj days     
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs shall seek to enter into an    
agreement with an ,,ffrdc for an        
assessment of notices that the          
,secretary sends to claimants4  7b7     
,assessment ,an ,,ffrdc that enters to  
an agreement under subsection 7a7 shall 
submit to the ,secretary a written      

assessment of such notices4 ,the        
assessment shall include the following3 
7#a7 ,the determination of the ,,ffrdc1 
made in consultation with covered       
entities1 whether each such notice may  
be feasibly altered to reduce paper     
consumption by1 and costs to1 the       
,federal ,government4  7#b7 ,the        
recommendations of the ,,ffrdc regarding
 how the ,secretary may make such       
notices clearer to claimants1 better    
organized1 and more concise4  7c7       
,report2 implementation ,not later than 
#ij days after the ,secretary receives  
the assessment under subsection 7b71 the
 ,secretary shall--  7#a7 submit to the 
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,senate and ,house of               
,representatives a copy of such         
assessment2 and  7#b7 implement the     
recommendations in the assessment that  
are in compliance with the laws         
administered by the ,secretary4  7d7    
,deadline for implementation ,the       
,secretary shall complete the           

implementation of such recommendations  
pursuant to subsection 7c77#b7 by not   
later than one year after the date on   
which the ,secretary commences such     
implementation4  7e7 ,definitions ,in   
this section3  7#a7 ,the term ,,ffrdc   
means a federally funded research and   
development center4  7#b7 ,the term     
covered entities includes--  7,a7 the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs2  7,b7 
an expert in laws administered by the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs2  7,c7 
a veterans service organization         
recognized under section #eijb of title 
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code2  7,d7 an    
entity that advocates for veterans2 and 
7,e7 an entity that advocates for the   
survivors of veterans4  7#c7 ,the terms 
claimant and notice have the meanings   
given such terms in section #eajj of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  #c4  
,extension of certain limits on payments
 of pension ,section #eejc7;d77#g7 of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by striking ,november #cj1 #bjca

 and inserting ,december #ca1 #bjca4    
,passed the ,house of ,representatives  
,april #g1 #bjbe4;,clerk4