,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bjee  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ab1     
#bjbe ,mr4 ,banks 7for himself and ,mr4 
,king7 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 make certain          
improvements to the program of the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
provide comprehensive assistance for    
family caregivers of eligible veterans1 
and for other purposes4  #a4  ,short    
title  ,this ,act may be cited as the   
,veterans' ,caregiver ,appeals          
,modernization ,act of #bjbe4  #b4      
,improvements to program of ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs for comprehensive 
assistance for family caregivers of     
eligible veterans  7a7  ,in general     
,section #agbj;,g of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in     
subsection 7a77#d7--  7,a7 by striking  
,an eligible veteran and inserting 7,a7 

,an eligible veteran2 and  7,b7 by      
adding at the end the following new     
subparagraph3  7,b7 ,the ,secretary     
shall develop and implement a single    
digital system through which each       
employee of the ,veterans ,health       
,administration or the ,board of        
,veterans' ,appeals responsible for     
evaluating an application submitted     
under subparagraph 7,a71 or appeals of  
decisions of the ,secretary with respect
 to any such application1 may access--  
7i7 each such application2 and  7ii7 all
 documents received or submitted with   
respect to each such application4  2 and
  7#b7 in subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 in the  
heading1 by inserting 2 training after  
,construction2  7,b7 in paragraph 7#b7--
 7i7 by striking construed to create--  
and inserting construed--2  7ii7 by     
redesignating subparagraphs 7,a7 and    
7,b7 as clauses 7i7 and 7ii71           
respectively 7and conforming the margins
 accordingly72  7iii7 by inserting      
before the matter so redesignated the   

following new subparagraph3  7,a7 to    
create--  2  7iv7 in clause 7ii7 of     
subparagraph 7,a71 as added by clause   
7iii71 by striking the period at the end
 and inserting 2 or2 and  7v7 by        
inserting after subparagraph 7,a71 as   
added by clause 7iii71 the following new
 subparagraph3  7,b7 as affecting1 if an
 eligible veteran dies during the       
pendency of an appeal of a decision of  
the ,secretary affecting the furnishing 
of assistance or support services under 
this section1 the eligibility of a      
family caregiver to receive monthly     
personal caregiver stipends under       
subsection 7a77#c77;,a77ii77,v7--  7i7  
to which the family caregiver was       
entitled on the date of the death of the
 eligible veteran based on evidence in  
the file for such veteran or caregiver  
on such date2 and  7ii7 due and unpaid  
as of such date4  2 and  7,c7 by adding 
at the end the following new paragraph3 
7#c7 ,the ,secretary shall ensure that  
any employee of the ,veterans ,health   

,administration responsible for         
evaluating appeals of decisions of the  
,secretary affecting the furnishing of  
assistance or support services under    
this section is provided the same       
guidance and completes the same training
 as a higher-level adjudicator under    
section #eajd;,b of this title4  4  7b7 
,required considerations  7#a7  ,digital
 systems  ,in developing the digital    
system required by subsection           
7a77#d77;,b7 of section #agbj;,g of     
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 7as   
added by subsection 7a77#a771 the       
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
consider--  7,a7 lessons learned from   
the implementation of the ,veterans     
,benefits ,management ,system to process
 claims for benefits under laws         
administered by the ,secretary2 and     
7,b7 whether other programs administered
 by the ,veterans ,health               
,administration would improve from the  
development of a single digital system  
through which applications and documents

 relating to such programs may be       
accessed by employees of the ,veterans  
,health ,administration responsible for 
evaluating such applications and        
documents4  7#b7  ,training  ,in        
carrying out the requirement under      
subsection 7c77#c7 of such section 7as  
added by subsection 7a77#b771 the       
,secretary shall consider best practices
 developed from efforts of the          
,secretary to standardize the guidance  
and training available to employees of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
responsible for the delivery of         
disability compensation to veterans     
eligible for such compensation4