[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1031 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.1031

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Sunday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty one


                                 An Act


 
  To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
study on disparities associated with race and ethnicity with respect to 
certain benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and 
                           for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY ON DISPARITIES 
ASSOCIATED WITH RACE AND ETHNICITY WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN BENEFITS 
ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    (a) Study Required.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
shall conduct a study--
        (1) to assess whether there are disparities associated with 
    race and ethnicity with respect to--
            (A) compensation benefits administered by the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs;
            (B) disability ratings determined by the Secretary, with 
        specific consideration of disability evaluations based on pain; 
        and
            (C) the rejection of fully developed claims for benefits 
        under laws administered by the Secretary; and
        (2) to develop recommendations to facilitate better data 
    collection on the disparities described in paragraph (1).
    (b) Initial Briefing.--Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall brief Congress 
on the initial results of the study conducted under subsection (a).
    (c) Final Report.--Not later than 240 days after the date on which 
the briefing required by subsection (b) is conducted, the Comptroller 
General shall submit to Congress a final report setting

  
 forth the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), 
including the recommendations developed under paragraph (2) of such 
subsection.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.