[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1214 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1214

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an enhanced 
 quality assurance program within the Veterans Benefits Administration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 1999

 Mr. Evans (for himself, Mr. Filner, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Doyle, 
   Ms. Carson, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Shows, Ms. Berkley, Ms. 
Millender-McDonald, Ms. Danner, Mr. Costello, Mr. LaFalce, Mrs. Kelly, 
     Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Strickland, Mr. 
    Underwood, Mr. Olver, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Stenholm, Mr. Klink, Ms. 
   McKinney, Mr. Frost, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Farr of California, Mr. 
   Norwood, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. Spratt, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. 
Rangel, Ms. Hooley of Oregon, Mr. Davis of Florida, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. 
Murtha, Ms. Kilpatrick, and Mr. Luther) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an enhanced 
 quality assurance program within the Veterans Benefits Administration.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Claims Adjudication 
Improvement Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCED QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM WITHIN THE VETERANS BENEFITS 
              ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) In General.--(1) Chapter 77 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:

                  ``SUBCHAPTER III--QUALITY ASSURANCE

``Sec. 7731. Establishment
    ``(a) The Secretary shall carry out a quality assurance program in 
the Veterans Benefits Administration. The program may be carried out 
through a single quality assurance division in the Administration or 
through separate quality assurance entities for each of the principal 
organizational elements (known as `services') of the Administration.
    ``(b) The Secretary shall ensure that any quality assurance entity 
established and operated under subsection (a) is established and 
operated so as to meet generally applicable governmental standards for 
independence and internal controls for the performance of quality 
reviews of Government performance and results.
``Sec. 7732. Functions
    ``The Under Secretary for Benefits, acting through the quality 
assurance entities established under section 7731(a), shall on an 
ongoing basis perform and oversee quality reviews of the functions of 
each of the principal organizational elements of the Veterans Benefits 
Administration.
``Sec. 7733. Personnel
    ``The Secretary shall ensure that the number of full-time employees 
of the Veterans Benefits Administration assigned to quality assurance 
functions under this subchapter is adequate to perform the quality 
assurance functions for which they have responsibility.
``Sec. 7734. Annual report to Congress
    ``The Secretary shall include in the annual report to the Congress 
required by section 529 of this title a report on the quality assurance 
activities carried out under this subchapter. Each such report shall 
include--
            ``(1) an appraisal of the quality of services provided by 
        the Veterans Benefits Administration, including--
                    ``(A) the number of decisions reviewed;
                    ``(B) a summary of the findings on the decisions 
                reviewed;
                    ``(C) the number of full-time equivalent employees 
                assigned to quality assurance in each division or 
                entity;
                    ``(D) specific documentation of compliance with the 
                standards for independence and internal control 
                required by section 7731(b) of this title; and
                    ``(E) actions taken to improve the quality of 
                services provided and the results obtained;
            ``(2) information with respect to the accuracy of 
        decisions, including trends in that information; and
            ``(3) such other information as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is 
amended by adding at the end the following new items:

                  ``SUBCHAPTER III--QUALITY ASSURANCE

``7731. Establishment.
``7732. Functions.
``7733. Personnel.
``7734. Annual report to Congress.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subchapter III of chapter 77 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on 
the later of October 1, 1999, or at the end of the 60-day period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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