Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Veterans Quality of Life Study Act of 2007

Study on Department of Veterans Affairs schedule for rating disabilities

(a)

Study required

Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment, the Secretary shall contract with the Institute of Medicine, or other appropriate entity, to conduct a study analyzing the extent to which the schedule for rating disabilities prescribed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs pursuant to section 1155 of title 38, United States Code, accounts for or should be amended or expanded to account, measure, and compensate for loss of quality of life to veterans due to a disability resulting from a personal injury suffered, physical or mental, or disease contracted in the line of duty, or for aggravation of a preexisting injury suffered or disease contracted in the line of duty. (b)

Contents of study

The study which will be completed by the Institute of Medicine, or other appropriate entity, within 180 days after contracting with the Secretary shall be carried out pursuant to subsection (a) and shall— (1)examine— (A)the extent to which the schedule for rating disabilities, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, accounts for loss of quality of life; and (B)specific approaches and instruments for measuring— (i)the effect of a service-connected disability on a veteran’s quality of life, including the veteran’s psychological state, loss of physical integrity, and social inadaptability; and (ii)the ways in which quality of life disability compensation is managed under various other disability programs of Federal and State governments and in other countries; (2)include recommendations with respect to— (A)the appropriate standards for determining whether a service-connected disability has caused a loss in the veterans’ quality of life; (B)the means for determining the appropriate level of compensation for loss of quality of life; and (C)the practicability of implementing quality of life evaluations in the course of providing the benefits relating to disability compensation and pension administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; (3)take into account advice and information received through consultations carried out with public and private entities, veteran service organizations, agencies, advocacy groups, and, if necessary, other consultants, with particular attention paid to how to manage any changes for veterans who are receiving disability compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, as of the date of the enactment of this Act; and (4)include such other matters as the Secretary and the entity carrying out the study determine are appropriate. (c)

Report

Not later than 60 days after the completion of the study required under subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report that includes the following: (1)The Secretary’s recommendations with respect to the findings and conclusions of the study regarding accounting for the loss of quality of life in the schedule for rating disabilities prescribed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs pursuant to section 1155 of title 38, United States Code. (2)The Secretary’s recommendations with respect to compensation that should be paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans for loss of quality of life and the basis for determining the amount of any such compensation.

Treatment of claims upon death of claimant

(a)

Treatment of beneficiary of veteran’s accrued benefits as claimant for purposes of incomplete claims upon death of veteran

Title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 5121 the following:

5121A.

Death of claimant

If a veteran who is a claimant dies while a pending claim is awaiting final adjudication for any benefit under a law administered by the Secretary, the person who would receive any accrued benefits due to the veteran under section 5121(a)(2) of this title shall be treated as the claimant for the purposes of processing to completion the pending claim. If the person who would receive such accrued benefits does not want to be treated as the claimant under this subsection, that person may designate to be treated as the claimant under this subsection the person who would receive such benefits upon the death of the person who would otherwise be treated as the claimant under the preceding sentence.

(b)

Effective Date

The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to the claim of any veteran who dies on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Annual reports on workload of United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

(a)

In General

Subchapter III of chapter 72 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

7288.

Annual report

The chief judge of the Court shall annually submit to the Committee on Veterans Affairs’ of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans Affairs’ of the House of Representatives a report summarizing the workload of the Court during the last fiscal year that ended before the submission of such report. Such report shall include, with respect to such fiscal year, the following information: (1)The number of appeals filed. (2)The number of petitions filed. (3)The number of applications filed under section 2412 of title 28. (4)The number and type of dispositions, including settlements. (5)The median time from filing to disposition. (6)The number of oral arguments. (7)The number and status of pending appeals and petitions and of applications described in paragraph (3). (8)A summary of any service performed by recalled retired judges during the fiscal year. (9)The number of decisions or dispositions rendered by a single judge, multi-judge panels and the full Court. (10)The number of cases pending longer than 18 months.

(b)

Clerical Amendment

The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 72 of such title is amended by inserting after the item related to section 7287, the following new item:

7288. Annual report.

Report on expansion of facilities for United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

(a)

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is currently located in the District of Columbia in a commercial office building that is also occupied by other Federal tenants. (2)In February 2006, the General Services Administration provided Congress with a preliminary feasibility analysis of a dedicated Veterans Courthouse and Justice Center that would house the Court and other entities that work with the Court. (3)In February 2007, the Court notified Congress that the most cost-effective alternative appears to be leasing substantial additional space in the current location, which would require relocating other current government tenants from that building. (4)The February 2006 feasibility report of the General Services Administration does not include an analysis of whether it would be feasible or desirable to locate a Veterans Courthouse and Justice Center at the current location of the Court. (b)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that— (1)the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims should be provided with appropriate office space to meet its needs, as well as to provide the image, security, and stature befitting a court that provides justice to the veterans of the United States; and (2)in providing that space, Congress should avoid undue disruption, inconvenience, or cost to other Federal entities. (c)

Report

(1)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of General Services 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 feasibility of— (A)leasing additional space for the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims within the building where the Court was located on the date of the enactment of this Act; and (B)using the entirety of such building as a Veterans Courthouse and Justice Center. (2)

Contents

The report required by paragraph (1) shall include a detailed analysis of the following: (A)The impact that the matter analyzed in accordance with paragraph (1) would have on Federal tenants of the building used by the Court. (B)Whether it would be feasible to relocate such Federal tenants into office space that offers similar or preferable cost, convenience, and usable square footage. (C)If relocation of such Federal tenants is found to be feasible and desirable, an analysis of what steps should be taken to convert the building into a Veterans Courthouse and Justice Center and a time line for such conversion. (D)If relocation is not desirable, then the cost of constructing a new facility for the use as a Veterans Courthouse and Justice Center. (3)

Comment period

The Administrator shall provide an opportunity to such Federal tenants— (A)before the completion of the report required by paragraph (1), to comment on the subject of the report required by such paragraph; and (B)before the Administrator submits the report required by paragraph (1) to the congressional committees specified in such paragraph, to comment on a draft of such report.