[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2971 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2971

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to promote assistance from 
persons recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for individuals 
   who file certain claims under laws administered by the Secretary.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2023

  Mr. Peters introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to promote assistance from 
persons recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for individuals 
   who file certain claims under laws administered by the Secretary.

    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 Claims Education Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. PROMOTION OF ASSISTANCE FROM PERSONS RECOGNIZED BY THE 
              SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO FILE 
              CERTAIN CLAIMS UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY.

    (a) Notice to Claimants of Available Assistance From Recognized 
Persons.--Section 5103A of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as 
        subsections (i) through (k), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new 
        subsections:
    ``(g) Upon receipt of an initial claim by a claimant not 
represented by an accredited person, the Secretary shall provide notice 
to the claimant that--
            ``(1) an accredited person may be able to represent the 
        claimant;
            ``(2) a veterans service organization recognized under 
        section 5902 of this title may represent the claimant at no 
        charge to the claimant;
            ``(3) provides the web address of the online tool 
        maintained under subsection (h); and
            ``(4) provides the web address of an appropriate and 
        publicly accessible website of the Department through which a 
        claimant may report--
                    ``(A) a person, who is not an accredited person, 
                who represented the claimant; and
                    ``(B) any fee charged by such person for such 
                representation.
    ``(h)(1) The Secretary shall maintain an online tool that allows a 
claimant to search a list of accredited persons who represent 
claimants.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that such list is current at least 
once each calendar quarter.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that such tool is easily 
accessible to a claimant.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(l) In this section:
            ``(1) The term `accredited person' means--
                    ``(A) a veterans service organization recognized 
                under section 5902 of this title; or
                    ``(B) an attorney, agent, or other person 
                recognized under section 5904 of this title.
            ``(2) The term `represent' means to prepare, present, or 
        prosecute a claim under a law administered by the Secretary on 
        behalf of a claimant.''.
    (b) Online Information Regarding Persons That Assist Claimants.--
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include, in each web portal of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, through which an individual may 
file a claim for a benefit administered by the Under Secretary for 
Benefits or the Under Secretary for Health, a warning regarding fees an 
agent or attorney may charge such individual for assistance in filing 
such claim. Such warning shall include the following:
            (1) A link to the online maintained under subsection (h) of 
        section 5103A of such title, as amended by subsection (a).
            (2) A link to the website of the Department described in 
        subparagraph (D) of section 5103A(f)(1) of such title, as 
        amended by subsection (a).
    (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
            (1) complete a review the regulations, processes, and 
        procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs that pertain 
        to recognition under section 5904 of title 38, United States 
        Code;
            (2) develop recommendations for legislative or 
        administrative action to improve such regulations, processes, 
        and procedures; and
            (3) submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
        Senate and House of Representatives a report containing the 
        findings of the Secretary with respect to the review completed 
        under paragraph (1) and the recommendations developed under 
        paragraph (2).
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