[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1647 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1647

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
  program under which certain veterans may submit claims for benefits 
under laws administered by the Secretary to any regional office of the 
                    Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 2011

    Mr. Runyan (for himself and Mr. Johnson of Ohio) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
  program under which certain veterans may submit claims for benefits 
under laws administered by the Secretary to any regional office of 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Choice in Filing Act of 
2011''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON SUBMITTAL OF CLAIMS TO ANY REGIONAL OFFICE OF 
              THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Pilot Program Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall carry out a two-year pilot program under which the Secretary 
shall permit a qualifying veteran filing a claim for benefits under a 
law administered by the Secretary to submit such claim to any regional 
office of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary shall 
promptly notify each qualifying veteran of the opportunity to 
participate in the pilot program.
    (b) Qualifying Veterans.--For the purposes of the pilot program 
under subsection (a), a qualifying veteran is a veteran who would, 
except as provided under the pilot program, be required to submit a 
claim to one of five regional offices of the Department selected by the 
Secretary based on below average performance.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) Interim report.--Upon the selection of the Secretary of 
        five regional offices for the purposes of subsection (b), the 
        Secretary shall submit a report to Congress that lists the 
        offices selected and the Secretary's rationale for selecting 
        such offices.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        completion of the pilot program under subsection (a), the 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress a final report on the pilot 
        program that contains the Secretary's recommendations with 
        respect to the allocation of resources among the regional 
        offices of the Department.
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