[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3705 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3705

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to require the use of 
     certified mail and plain language in certain debt collection 
                              activities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 7, 2017

 Ms. Pingree introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to require the use of 
     certified mail and plain language in certain debt collection 
                              activities.

    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 Fair Debt Notice Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. USE OF CERTIFIED MAIL AND PLAIN LANGUAGE REQUIRED IN CERTAIN 
              DEBT COLLECTION ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall amend 
section 1.911 of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, to require that 
certified mail be used to send any of the following:
            (1) A written demand from the Secretary to a debtor under 
        subsection (b) of such section.
            (2) A request for a waiver from a debtor to the Secretary 
        under subsection (c)(2) of such section.
            (3) A notification from the Secretary to a debtor under 
        subsection (d) or (e) of such section.
    (b) Plain Language Required.--The Secretary shall write the 
following in plain language:
            (1) Any demand described in subsection (a)(1), which shall 
        include an explanation of why the debtor owes money to the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Any notification described in subsection (a)(3), which 
        shall include options available to the debtor.
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