[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5801 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5801

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
    Veterans Affairs to correct and prevent variances in disability 
   compensation payments made by the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 2006

   Mr. Pascrell (for himself, Mr. Holt, Mr. Schwarz of Michigan, Mr. 
  Gutierrez, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Garrett of New Jersey, and Ms. DeLauro) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
    Veterans Affairs to correct and prevent variances in disability 
   compensation payments made by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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

SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REDUCTION OF VARIANCES IN THE 
              ADJUDICATION AND AWARDING OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION 
              BENEFITS.

    (a) Reduction of Variances Required.--Chapter 11 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:
``Sec. 1164. Reduction of variances in adjudication and awarding of 
              benefits
    ``(a) Reduction of Variances.--The Secretary shall take steps to 
reduce variances in the adjudication and awarding of benefits under 
this chapter in accordance with this section.
    ``(b) Data Collection.--In order to carry out subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall develop and implement a comprehensive and systematic 
method for collecting data on variances in the adjudication and 
awarding of benefits under this chapter.
    ``(c) Matters to Be Included.--In collecting data pursuant to 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall include the following matters:
            ``(1) The percentage of claims for disability compensation 
        that are paid and the percentage of such claims that are denied 
        during each fiscal year.
            ``(2) The number of veterans who receive disability 
        compensation payments during each fiscal year.
            ``(3) The amount paid to each veteran receiving a 
        disability compensation payment.
            ``(4) The type of disability for which each such veteran 
        receives a disability compensation payment.
            ``(5) The amount of any payment made to each such veteran 
        as additional compensation for a dependent under section 1115 
        or 1135 of this title.
            ``(6) The amount of any payment made to each such veteran 
        by reason of the veteran's total unemployability.
            ``(7) Data reflecting any patterns of disability 
        compensation claims submission across veteran sub-populations, 
        including any differences in such submissions among veterans of 
        different conflicts and veterans living in different locations.
            ``(8) Any other demographic information the Secretary 
        determines is appropriate for evaluating and explaining 
        variances in the adjudication and awarding of benefits under 
        this chapter.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``Sec. 1164. Reduction of variances in adjudication and awarding of 
                            benefits''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ANALYSIS AND REPORT ON VARIANCES 
              IN ADJUDICATION AND AWARDING OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION 
              BENEFITS.

    (a) Analysis Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct an analysis of any data available to the Secretary concerning 
variances in the adjudication and awarding of benefits under chapter 11 
of title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report, 
which shall include the following:
            (1) The findings of the analysis conducted under subsection 
        (a).
            (2) Recommendations for the future detection, correction, 
        and prevention of variances in the adjudication and awarding of 
        benefits.
                                 <all>