,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #gbi #aaith  
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #gjhc
 ,report ,no4 #aai-hcb ,,in ,,the       
,,house ,,of ,,representatives  ,january
 #ae1 #bjbf,mr4 ,barrett introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,september #ae1 #bjbf;,additional       
sponsors3 ,mr4 ,ciscomani and ,ms4      
,scholten  ,september #ae1              
#bjbf,reported with an amendment1       
committed to the ,committee of the      
,whole ,house on the ,state of the      
,union1 and ordered to be printed,strike
 out all after the enacting clause and  
insert the part printed in italic,for   
text of introduced bill1 see copy of    
bill as introduced on ,january #ae1     
#bjbf  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code1 to make certain  
improvements in the process of the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
making payments to automobile sellers   
for automobiles purchased for certain   
disabled veterans1 and for other        

purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,centralized        
,reimbursement for ,upgraded ,innovative
 ,service ,equipment ,act or the        
,,cruise ,act4  #b4 ,improvements to    
process for making payments to          
automobile sellers for automobiles      
purchased for certain disabled veterans 
7a7 ,timeliness of payments ,section    
#cijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states     
,code1 is amended1 in subsection 7a7--  
7#a7 by inserting 7#a7 before ,the      
,secretary2 and  7#b7 by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#b7  
,the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 make       
payments under this section in          
compliance with regulations prescribed  
under section #cijc7;a7 of title #ca2   
and  7,b7 in the case of any payment    
under this section that is not processed
 during the period of #cj days following
 receipt by the ,secretary of the final 
invoice for such payment1 the ,secretary
 shall publish in the ,federal ,register
 the number of days required to process 

the payment4  4  7b7 ,centralization of 
process for making payments ,such       
section is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection3  7f7 7#a7 
,the ,secretary shall process payments  
under this section through one office of
 the ,department that the ,secretary    
determines has the capacity and         
expertise to make such payments in      
compliance with regulations described in
 subsection 7a77#b74  7#b7 ,the         
,secretary shall accurately track and   
resolve payments due to sellers under   
this section that are more than #ij days
 overdue4  4  7c7 ,reporting ,the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to the ,committees on ,veterans' 
,affairs of the ,senate and ,house of   
,representatives1 and publish on a      
publicly accessible website of the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 four 
semiannual reports after the date of the
 enactment of this ,act1 regarding the  
administration of section #cijb of title
 #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as amended 

by this section4 ,each such report shall
 include1 with respect to the period of 
six months preceding the date of the    
report1 the following elements3 7#a7    
,the average and median number of days  
between receipt of a invoice for payment
 under such section by the ,claims      
,intake ,center of the ,department and  
the day when the ,secretary makes such  
payment1 disaggregated by whether the   
claim was under review or being         
processed by-- 7,a7 the ,veterans       
,health ,administration2  7,b7 the      
,veterans ,benefits ,administration2 or 
7,c7 the seller4  7#b7 ,improvements to 
information technology of the           
,department that the ,secretary         
determines would reduce the time        
required for such review or processing4 
7d7 ,,gao report2 briefing  7#a7 ,report
 ,not later than #ahj days after the day
 the ,secretary completes centralization
 under subsection 7f7 of section #cijb  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as 
added by this section1 the ,comptroller 

,general of the ,united ,states shall   
review such centralization and publish a
 report containing the results of such  
review4 ,such report shall include the  
determinations of the ,comptroller      
,general regarding the following3 7,a7  
,the capacity of the office determined  
by the ,secretary under such subsection1
 to carry out processing described in   
such subsection1 including-- 7i7 a      
comprehensive assessment of employees of
 the ,department who carry out chapter  
#ci of such title2  7ii7 a comprehensive
 skills assessment indicating what      
resources the ,secretary requires to    
otherwise improve such centralization1  
including additional funds1 employees1  
or contractors2 and  7iii7 a review of  
systems of information technology1      
including systems in use or to be       
acquired1 to carry out such             
centralization4  7,b7 ,recommendations  
to improve such processing4  7,c7       
,estimated costs to the ,united ,states 
to implement such recommendations4  7#b7

 ,briefing ,not later than #cj days     
after publishing the report under       
paragraph 7#a71 the ,comptroller        
,general shall provide to the           
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and      
,senate a briefing on such report4 ,such
 briefing shall include any response    
from the ,secretary to the ,comptroller 
,general regarding the recommendations  
in the report4  #c4 ,extension of       
certain limits on payments of pension   
,section #eejc7;d77#g7 of title #ch1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
striking ,january #ca1 #bjcc and        
inserting ,october #ca1 #bjcc4          
,september #ae1 #bjbf,reported with an  
amendment1 committed to the ,committee  
of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of   
the ,union1 and ordered to be printed