[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 8, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S3657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4580. Mr. CASSIDY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle I of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1097. PROVISION OF ACCESS BY EMPLOYEES OF MEMBERS OF 
                   CONGRESS TO CASE-TRACKING INFORMATION TO CASE-
                   TRACKING INFORMATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 59 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 5906. Provision of access by employees of members of 
       Congress to case-tracking information

       ``(a) In General.--(1) Beginning not later than the date 
     that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
     section, the Secretary shall provide to accredited, permanent 
     Congressional employees who have successfully completed the 
     certification process described in subsection (b)(1), upon 
     election by the Member of Congress for which the employee 
     works, read-only remote access to the electronic VBA claims 
     records system of veterans who reside in the area represented 
     by the Member, regardless of whether such employee is acting 
     under a power of attorney executed by such veteran.
       ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that access provided to an 
     accredited, permanent Congressional employee under paragraph 
     (1) is provided in a manner that does not allow the employee 
     to modify the data contained in the electronic VBA claims 
     records system.
       ``(b) Certification Required.--(1) The certification 
     process described in this paragraph is the certification 
     process that the Secretary requires an agent or attorney 
     under this chapter to complete before the agent or attorney 
     may access the electronic VBA claims records system.
       ``(2) Each Member of Congress who elects to have an 
     accredited, permanent Congressional employee of the Member 
     have access under subsection (a)(1) shall bear the cost of 
     the certification process described in paragraph (1), to be 
     paid from the Member's Representational Allowance.
       ``(c) Treatment of Disclosure.--The access to information 
     by an accredited, permanent Congressional employee pursuant 
     to subsection (a)(1) shall be deemed to be--
       ``(1) a disclosure permitted under section 552a(b) of title 
     5; and
       ``(2) a disclosure permitted under regulations promulgated 
     under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and 
     Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-191; 42 U.S.C. 
     1320d-2 note).
       ``(d) Nonrecognition.--The Secretary may not recognize an 
     accredited, permanent Congressional employee for the 
     preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims under 
     laws administered by the Secretary by reason of the Secretary 
     providing the employee with access to the electronic VBA 
     claims records system under subsection (a). An accredited, 
     permanent Congressional employee who is provided such access 
     may not use such access to act as such a recognized 
     individual.
       ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `electronic VBA claims records system' means 
     the system of the Department of Veterans Affairs that 
     provides information regarding the status of a claim 
     submitted by a veteran, including information regarding 
     medical records, compensation and pension exams records, 
     rating decisions, statement of the case (SOC), supplementary 
     statement of the case (SSOC), notice of disagreement (NOD), 
     and Form-9.
       ``(2) The term `accredited, permanent Congressional 
     employee' means an employee of a Member of Congress who 
     assists the constituents of the Member with issues regarding 
     departments or agencies of the Federal Government.
       ``(3) The term `Member of Congress' means a Representative, 
     a Senator, a Delegate to Congress, or the Resident 
     Commissioner of Puerto Rico.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 59 of such title is amended by adding at 
     the end the following new item:

``5906. Provision of access by employees of members of Congress to 
              case-tracking information.''.

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