[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9216 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9216

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive 
study on the use of distributed ledger technology in the Department of 
               Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2024

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive 
study on the use of distributed ledger technology in the Department 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger 
Innovation Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) veterans deserve efficient, transparent, and secure 
        access to benefits and services earned through their honorable 
        service;
            (2) distributed ledger technology offers promising 
        solutions for enhancing data integrity, security, and 
        transparency; and
            (3) exploring innovative technologies such as distributed 
        ledger technology could significantly improve the allocation of 
        benefits, management of insurance programs, and maintenance of 
        records within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS STUDY ON USE OF DISTRIBUTED 
              LEDGER TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a 
comprehensive study on the feasibility, potential benefits, and risks 
associated with using distributed ledger technology across various 
programs and services of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (b) Matters for Examination.--In conducting the study under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall examine how distributed ledger 
technology could--
            (1) improve the efficiency and accuracy of benefits 
        allocation to veterans;
            (2) enhance the management and security of veterans' 
        records and personal data;
            (3) streamline insurance claim processes for veterans; and
            (4) increase transparency and accountability in the 
        delivery of services to veterans.
    (c) Consultation.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall consult with--
            (1) experts in distributed ledger technology;
            (2) representatives of veterans service organizations;
            (3) the heads of other Federal agencies with experience 
        using distributed ledger technology; and
            (4) any other stakeholders the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    (d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 
on the findings of the study under subsection (a). Such report shall 
include each of the following:
            (1) The findings of the study regarding the feasibility of 
        implementing distributed ledger technology in the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs.
            (2) A description of potential benefits and risks 
        associated with the implementation of such technology in the 
        Department.
            (3) Any recommendations of the Secretary regarding pilot 
        programs or other initiatives that should be implemented to 
        test the use of distributed ledger technology in specific areas 
        of Department operations, such as benefits distribution or 
        insurance claims.
            (4) Any legislative or administrative actions required to 
        implement such technology in the Department.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``distributed ledger'' means a ledger that 
        is--
                    (A) is shared across a set of distributed nodes, 
                which are devices or processes, that participate in a 
                network and store a complete or partial replica of the 
                ledger;
                    (B) is synchronized between the nodes;
                    (C) has data appended to it by following a 
                specified consensus mechanism;
                    (D) publicly accessible or restricted to a subset 
                of participants; and
                    (E) may require participants to have authorization 
                to perform certain actions or require no authorization.
            (2) The term ``distributed ledger technology'' means 
        technology that enables the operation and use of distributed 
        ledgers.
                                 <all>