,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjjj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #i1   
#bjbe,mr4 ,blumenthal introduced the    
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs to identify and report         
instances of disability benefit         
questionnaire fraud1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,fraud ,reduction   
,and ,uncovering ,deception in          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
,disability ,exams ,act of #bjbe or the 
,,fraud in ,,va ,disability ,exams ,act 
of #bjbe4  #b4 ,identification and      
reporting of veterans disability benefit
 questionnaire fraud  7a7 ,in general   
,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall-- 7#a7 carry out actions to       
identify fraudulent activity relating to
 the submittal of disability benefit    
questionnaire data to the ,secretary1   

without regard to the origin of the     
questionnaires2 and  7#b7 transmit to   
appropriate investigatory bodies1       
including the ,office of the ,inspector 
,general of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs1 reports of suspected activity
 identified pursuant to paragraph 7#a74 
7b7 ,requirements ,actions carried out  
pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 of subsection
 7a7 shall include the following3 7#a7  
,establishment of a process for claim   
processors of the ,department to        
identify instances of disability benefit
 questionnaire fraud and to transmit    
reports of suspected fraud as described 
in paragraph 7#b7 of such subsection4   
7#b7 ,establishment of a recurring audit
 of disability benefit questionnaires   
submitted to the ,secretary1 without    
regard to the origin of the             
questionnaires4  7#c7 ,informing        
individuals who have applied for1 or    
submitted a claim for1 a benefit under a
 law administered by the ,secretary when
 their disability benefit questionnaires

 have raised suspicion of fraud4  7c7   
,authority of ,inspector ,general of the
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs ,the 
,inspector ,general of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs may use any       
authority applicable to an inspector    
general of the ,federal ,government not 
otherwise available to the ,inspector   
,general that the ,inspector ,general   
considers necessary to investigate      
suspected activity identified pursuant  
to subsection 7a77#a74  7d7 ,limitation 
,the ,secretary may not reopen or change
 a decision of the ,department regarding
 an application from an individual for1 
or claim of the individual for1 a       
benefit under a law administered by the 
,secretary pursuant to an investigation 
carried out under subsection 7c71 except
 in a case in which1 pursuant to such   
investigation1 the individual has been  
convicted by a court of competent       
jurisdiction of fraud4  7e7 ,annual     
report to ,congress ,not less frequently
 than once each year1 the ,secretary    

shall submit to the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives a report
 on the administration of subsections   
7a7 and 7b74