I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3504 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 31, 2009 Mr. Miller of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To provide for a 2 percent rescission of unobligated funds previously appropriated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire claims processors.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the VA Case Backlog Alleviation and Economic Stimulus Act of 2009.

2.

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)During recent testimony in front of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs stated that there are approximately 140,000 cases in the Department claims adjudication system that have been pending for over 125 days without a decision. (2)The Department of Veterans Affairs continually maintains an unacceptably large backlog of veterans’ cases. (3)The Department of Veterans Affairs should never maintain a backlog of more than 50,000 cases which have been unresolved for more than 125 days. (4)The Department of Veterans Affairs was appropriated $1,357,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 for compensation and pension claims processors. (5)The Department of Veterans Affairs has seen an increase of 1,800 people to help with compensation and pension claims processing since 2008. (6)Public Law 111–5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, appropriated $787,000,000,000 in stimulus spending. (7)A large majority of the stimulus funding has not been obligated as of the date of the enactment of this Act.

3.

Rescission of 2 percent of unobligated stimulus funds

(a)

Rescission

Effective on the date of the enactment of this Act, there are hereby rescinded 2 percent of the total amount of the unobligated balances of the discretionary appropriations made available by division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–5). (b)

Use of funds

Amounts subject to the rescission under subsection (a) shall be available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire Department of Veterans Affairs claims processors. (c)

Assignment of claims processors

In hiring claims processors pursuant to subsection (b), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that such processors are assigned proportionately to each State according to the percentage of veterans residing in that State.

4.

Report to Congress

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the transfer of stimulus funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to section 3 and the status of the backlog of claims for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary.