3.0.0 928 2023-01-11T13:24:58Z 2023-01-11T13:24:58Z Senate S S 2013-05-09 113 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Standing Hearings by 2013-06-12T13:49:17Z Referred to 2013-05-09T22:00:56Z To establish a task force in the Department of Veterans Affairs to assess the retention and training of claims processors. 113 2528 HR 2013-07-12 Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. Related bill CRS 2013-06-12 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-111. Committee 2013-05-09 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3338-3341) IntroReferral 2013-05-09 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3337-3338) IntroReferral B00100 9 Library of Congress 2013-05-09 Introduced in Senate IntroReferral 10000 9 Library of Congress S000033 Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] Bernard Sanders I VT N T000464 Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] Jon Tester D MT 2013-05-22 False B001265 Sen. Begich, Mark [D-AK] Mark Begich D AK 2013-06-13 False B000944 Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] Sherrod Brown D OH 2013-07-15 False S000148 Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] Charles Schumer D NY E. 2013-11-06 False Armed Forces and National Security Administrative remedies Advisory bodies Asia Conflicts and wars Congressional oversight Department of Veterans Affairs Disability and paralysis Executive agency funding and structure Federal-Indian relations Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management Government information and archives Government studies and investigations Health information and medical records Health personnel Intergovernmental relations Judicial review and appeals Marriage and family status Medical tests and diagnostic methods Mental health Military education and training Philippines Separation, divorce, custody, support State and local government operations Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation Veterans' medical care Veterans' pensions and compensation Armed Forces and National Security 00 2013-05-09 Introduced in Senate 2013-07-11T17:02:25Z Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish: (1) a working group to assess and develop recommendations for improving the employee work credit and work management systems of the Veterans Benefits Administration, and (2) a task force to assess the retention and training of claims processors and adjudicators employed by the VA and other federal departments and agencies.

Requires the Secretary, in providing assistance to a VA benefits claimant, to make no fewer than two attempts to obtain needed records from another federal department or agency, and to notify the claimant of the inability to obtain all of the records sought. Requires a record sought before the adjudication of a claim but received after such adjudication to be considered part of the original record.

Authorizes the Secretary to recognize representatives of Indian tribes in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of VA claims.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a pilot program of including the participation of local governments and tribal organizations in improving the quality of disability compensation claims submitted to the VA, and (2) report quarterly through 2015 to the congressional veterans committees on the backlog of submitted claims.

Changes from one year to 180 days the filing period of a notice of disagreement to a decision on a claim, after which appellate review will be initiated. Allows the Secretary to waive such deadline for good cause shown, as long as such notice is filed within 186 days after the original deadline.

Revises the manner of appearance (in person, through picture and voice transmission, etc.) and appropriate location of a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

Authorizes the Secretary to disclose VA patient medical records, as appropriate under an appeal, to the Supreme Court, a U.S. Court of Appeals, or the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

Extends: (1) VA authority to operate a regional office in the Republic of the Philippines, (2) the period for the scheduling of VA medical exams for veterans receiving temporary disability ratings due to severe mental disorders, (3) the marriage delimiting date for surviving spouses of Persian Gulf War veterans to qualify for a VA death pension, and (4) the temporary authority for the performance of VA medical disability examinations by contract physicians.

Requires a report from the Secretary to the veterans committees on: (1) the furnishing of general and specialty medical examinations by the VA for purposes of adjudicating benefits claims, and (2) progress of the VA's acceptable clinical evidence initiative in reducing the necessity for in-person disability examinations and other efforts to comply with requirements concerning the acceptance of reports of private physicians.

]]> Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2013 Display Title Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2013 Official Title as Introduced A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the processing of claims for compensation under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Introduced in Senate IS Short Titles as Introduced Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2013 Introduced in Senate 2013-05-09T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-113s928is/xml/BILLS-113s928is.xml 2013-06-12 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-111. text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.