[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1656 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1656
To provide for the improvement of the processing of claims for veterans
compensation and pension, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 8, 2001
Mr. Feingold (for himself and Mr. Hatch) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the improvement of the processing of claims for veterans
compensation and pension, and for other purposes.
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 Benefits Administration
Improvement Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Veterans Benefits Administration of the Department
of Veterans Affairs is responsible for the timely and accurate
processing of claims for veterans compensation and pension.
(2) The accuracy of claims processing within the Veterans
Benefits Administration has been a subject of concern to
veterans, Congress, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(3) While the Veterans Benefits Administration has reported
in the past a 95 percent accuracy rate in processing claims, a
new accuracy measurement system known as the Systematic
Technical Accuracy Review found that, in 1998 and again in
2000, initial reviews of veterans claims were accurate only 64
percent of the time.
(4) The Veterans Benefits Administration could lose up to
30 percent of its workforce to retirement by 2003, making
adequate training for claims adjudicators even more necessary
to ensure veterans claims are processed efficiently.
(5) The Veterans Benefits Administration needs to take more
aggressive steps to ensure that veterans claims are processed
in an accurate and timely fashion so as to avoid unnecessary
delays in providing veterans with compensation and pension
benefits.
(6) In 2001 the expected appeals processing time for a
claim from notice of disagreement to final decision is 621
days.
(7) As of September 2001, the Veterans Benefits
Administration backlog of pending work was 533,029 claims.
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF PROCESSING OF VETERANS BENEFITS CLAIMS.
(a) Plan Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives a comprehensive plan for the improvement
of the processing of claims for veterans compensation and pension.
(b) Elements.--The plan under subsection (a) shall include the
following:
(1) Mechanisms for the improvement of training of claims
adjudicators and for the enhancement of employee accountability
standards in order to ensure that initial reviews of claims are
accurate and that unnecessary appeals of benefit decisions and
delays in benefit payments are avoided.
(2) Mechanisms for strengthening the ability of the
Veterans Benefits Administration to identify recurring errors
in claims adjudications by improving data collection and
management relating to--
(A) the human body and impairments common in
disability and pension claims; and
(B) recurring deficiencies in medical evidence and
examinations.
(3) Mechanisms for implementing a system for reviewing
claims processing accuracy that meets the internal control
standard of the Federal Government on separation of duties and
the program performance audit standard of the Federal
Government on organizational independence.
(4) Mechanisms for evaluating the impact of the Training
and Performance Support System on the accuracy and consistency
of claims processing.
(5) Quantifiable goals for each of the mechanisms developed
under paragraphs (1) through (4).
(c) Consultation.--In developing the plan under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall consult with and obtain the views of veterans
organizations, county veteran service associations, and other
interested parties.
(d) Implementation.--The Secretary shall implement the plan under
subsection (a) commencing 60 days after the date of the submittal of
the plan under that subsection.
(e) Modification.--(1) The Secretary may modify the plan submitted
under subsection (a).
(2) Any modification under paragraph (1) shall not take effect
until 30 days after the date on which the Secretary submits to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives a notice regarding such modification.
(f) Reports.--Not later than January 1, 2003, and every six months
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Majority
Leader of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a
report assessing implementation of the plan under subsection (a) during
the preceding 6 months, including an assessment of whether the goals
set forth under subsection (b)(5) are being achieved.
(g) Funding.--The Secretary shall carry out the plan under this
section in any fiscal year using amounts appropriated or otherwise made
available for the Veterans Benefits Administration for that fiscal
year.
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