[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 150 (Monday, September 15, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4290-H4293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MODERNIZING ALL VETERANS AND SURVIVORS CLAIMS PROCESSING ACT
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3854) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a
plan to expand the use of certain automation tools in the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3854
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 ``Modernizing All Veterans and
Survivors Claims Processing Act''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT ON
CAUSES OF DEATH AMONG VETERANS.
(a) In General.--Subchaper II of chapter 5 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 534. Annual report on causes of death among veterans
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall submit to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate an annual report that contains
data and information on causes of death among veterans.
``(b) Elements.--Such report shall include--
``(1) for each veteran that died during the period covered
by the report an identification of--
``(A) whether such veteran had a service-connected
disability rated as total;
``(B) the primary cause of death;
``(C) the secondary cause of death, if applicable; and
``(D) the manner of death;
``(2) for each primary cause of death identified pursuant
to paragraph (1), a statement of the total number of veterans
that died from such primary cause of death during the period
covered by the report; and
``(3) for each manner of death identified pursuant to
paragraph (1), a statement of the
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total number of veterans that died in such manner during the
period covered by the report.
``(c) Sunset.--This section shall terminate on the date
that is five years after the date of the enactment of the
Justice for America's Veterans and Survivors Act of 2025.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amended by inserting
after the item relating to section 533 the following new
item:
``534. Annual report on causes of death among veterans''.
SEC. 3. PLAN FOR USE OF AUTOMATION TOOLS TO PROCESS CLAIMS
UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives the plan of the Secretary
to make available, to the maximum extent practicable, an
automation tool described in subsection (b) to elements of
the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose of
processing claims under laws administered by the Secretary.
(b) Automation Tool Described.--An automation tool
described in this subsection is a technology developed for
the Compensation Service of the Veterans Benefits
Administration that--
(1) automates the retrieval of the service record or health
records of a veteran;
(2) compiles evidence relevant to the determination of a
claim for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary;
(3) provides automated decision support relevant to such a
determination;
(4) automates information sharing between Federal agencies;
and
(5) assists in generating correspondence regarding such a
claim.
(c) Analysis.--In developing the plan required under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall conduct an analysis of
each of the following:
(1) The feasibility and benefits of the use of an
automation tool described in subsection (b) by elements of
the Department for the purpose of processing claims under
laws administered by the Secretary.
(2) Any modification to an existing automation tool that
could render such tool usable for such purpose by such an
element.
(3) Any requirement of any such element pertaining to such
purpose that cannot be addressed by using an automation tool.
(4) The extent to which the technology offices of such
elements may need to collaborate with the technology office
responsible for developing an automation tool in the course
of the development and use of the tool by the element for
such purpose.
(5) A timeline for modifying and implementing any
automation tool for use by such elements for such purpose.
(d) Priority.--In providing an automation tool described in
subsection (b) to elements of the Department pursuant to the
plan required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give
priority to the following elements:
(1) The Pension and Fiduciary Service of the Veterans
Benefits Administration.
(2) The Education Service of the Veterans Benefits
Administration.
(3) Program offices of the Veterans Benefits
Administration, as determined by the Secretary.
(4) The Debt Management Center.
(5) The Board of Veterans' Appeals.
SEC. 4. OTHER REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY AT
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Automatic Notices Regarding Benefits for Certain
Children of Veterans.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall implement policies, processes, and technological
capabilities, including in the National Work Queue (or
successor system), to ensure that, in the case of any covered
situation, a claims processors is made aware of, and assigned
to address, such covered situation.
(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) The term ``covered situation'' means--
(i) any increase in the amount of dependency compensation
paid to a beneficiary for a child under the laws administered
by the Secretary; and
(ii) any educational assistance paid to the child of a
veteran under the laws administered by the Secretary.
(B) The term ``child'' has the meaning given such term in
section 101(4)(A)(iii) of title 38, United States Code.
(b) Correct Labeling of Documents.--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 plan to ensure that
documents in the Veterans Benefits Management System (or any
successor system) are correctly labeled when such documents
are uploaded, including when such documents are labeled using
automation tools.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on
H.R. 3854, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3854, as amended,
sponsored by Representative Valadao.
This bill would require the VA to review existing claims, automation
tools, and submit a plan to Congress on improving, modifying, or
creating new tools to support claims processors.
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These improvements would, in return, help the VA automatically
retrieve veterans' records, compile evidence, automate Federal
Government data sharing, and generate notice letters to veterans. These
improvements are common sense and would lead to more efficient and
accurate decisions on benefit claims.
This bill would require the VA to detail how it would provide these
improvements to other benefit programs in the Veterans Benefits
Administration.
This bill also includes Representative Edwards' bill, the Justice for
American Veterans and Survivors Act of 2025. Importantly, this
provision would require the VA to publish an annual report for the next
5 years on the cause and manner of death among veterans rated 100
percent, our totally disabled veteran community.
The VA currently supports over 506,000 surviving spouses. However,
the VA does not track the cause and manner of death among recently
deceased totally disabled veterans. Data like this is critical to
ensuring that the VA programs for surviving family members meet their
needs.
The report would also require the VA to publish the total number of
prevalent causes and manners of death among these veterans to better
identify trends.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their work to ensure that the
VA continues to develop the tools it needs to effectively deliver
benefits. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3854, as amended,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3854, the Modernizing All
Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act, as amended.
We are living in an era of remarkable technological advancement. It
seems every day that there is a new story about how artificial
intelligence is shaping data visualization or modeling. In fact, there
are AI models that are helping to detect diseases before traditional
detection periods.
As the world around us continues to advance in this way, we cannot
handcuff the Department of Veterans Affairs and bar them from utilizing
this remarkable technology, but neither can we let them proceed
unfettered without considering all the implications of its use.
H.R. 3854 directs the VA to plan for the use of automation tools to
aid in retrieving service records, medical evidence, and claims
decision support, and to generate correspondence to the veteran. It
requires the VA to share this report with Congress so that we may
provide the proper oversight of this burgeoning technology.
This bill also provides an analytical structure to assess the
feasibility and extent of collaboration required between offices
utilizing artificial intelligence.
Lastly, it seeks to modernize and expedite the processing of benefits
for certain children of veterans, a uniquely vulnerable community.
Beyond just addressing the use of emerging AI technology at the VA,
H.R. 3854, as amended, also seeks to bolster the VA's data collection.
Currently, the VA does not collect cause-of-death data on veterans.
This is problematic, and it creates a challenge when assessing trends
in veteran deaths.
The collection of cause-of-death data would allow the VA to begin to
build datasets that can be tracked and assessed, a promising thing in
this era of rapid technological advancement.
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It is not a stretch to say that this data can one day be used to
anticipate and prevent potentially catastrophic diagnoses in veteran
populations with similar markers. I, for one, look forward to a day
when we are preventing deaths from occupational exposures instead of
merely tracking them. This bill begins to tackle that.
This isn't a magic wand to fix and modernize all of VA, but it is a
start. I am confident that with modernization efforts like this
legislation, as well as my colleagues' efforts in other areas, we can
make a concerted effort to give our veterans the best care and
experience they deserve.
There is one very large caveat in this effort to modernize the VA and
its systems that I would be remiss not to mention, which is any push to
increase the use of automation, artificial intelligence, and big data
at the VA must not simultaneously remove the humanity from the system.
AI is no substitute for a well-trained workforce, especially one that
is as mission-driven and dedicated as the one we have at the VA.
Even as chaos unfolds around them, I know that VA employees are
trying hard to continue to deliver for veterans. We should not lose
sight of that. Even with the promise of evolving technologies, we know
that the human element is still the most important when delivering
world-class care and service to veterans. It is what veterans want, and
it is what serves them best.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Valadao), my good friend.
Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge support for my bill, the
Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act.
Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend this country. When
they come home, they shouldn't have to fight another battle just to get
the benefits that they deserve.
Unfortunately, outdated systems at the VA are causing unnecessary
delays that create real hardships for both veterans and their families.
To speed up disability claims, the VA has used automation tools, like
AI, to draft letters and gather documents. That same technology has not
been applied to other types of claims, such as pensions or survivor
benefits. This has led to a growing backlog and, in some cases, missed
benefits altogether.
My bill takes steps to fix this. It requires the VA to expand the use
of automation tools, ensure that documents are properly labeled in the
system, and improve coordination between offices. It also directs the
VA to use the tools for pensions and survivors' benefits, so families
aren't left behind.
By improving coordination across the VA and other Federal agencies,
we can reduce overpayments and prevent families from being hit with
unexpected debt notices.
This is a commonsense bill that would help to ensure that our
veterans and survivors receive the benefits that they deserve in a
timely and efficient manner.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I also thank
Chairman Bost and his staff at the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for
their work on this very important issue.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Ms. Morrison), my good friend who serves on our Health
Subcommittee and our Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
Subcommittee.
Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3854, the
Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act.
The bill before us includes the provisions of the Justice for
America's Veterans and Survivors Act, which I co-led with the gentleman
from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards). Our bipartisan bill will improve the
VA's data collection efforts on the prevailing causes of death among
veterans.
As a physician myself, I can tell you firsthand that thorough and
accurate data is critical to delivering the best possible care for
patients. I believe it is incumbent upon us as lawmakers to take the
same approach with policymaking, especially when it comes to crafting
legislation to help care for our veterans.
The information provided under this report will help us to better
understand the most serious threats facing our veterans, whether it be
suicide, toxic exposure, or other life-threatening conditions.
This reporting will also include important information on veterans
with service-connected disability, which will help to ensure that
surviving family members receive the benefits that they are entitled to
in a timely fashion.
This commonsense legislation will provide the information that we
need to ensure that our veterans are getting the best possible care,
which is a goal that we all share.
Mr. Speaker, I will end by thanking the gentleman from North Carolina
(Mr. Edwards) for his partnership and the chair and ranking member for
their support. I also thank the bill's sponsor, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Valadao).
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this
legislation.
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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards).
Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Valadao from California for his
leadership on Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing
Act. This important legislation streamlines the VA claims process,
helping veterans and their families receive the benefits that they have
earned and deserve.
I am especially grateful to Mr. Valadao for his collaboration in
including my bill, the Justice for America's Veterans and Survivors
Act, in this package.
My legislation improves how the Department of Veterans Affairs
collects and reports data on the causes of death among veterans with a
particular emphasis on accurately identifying when suicide is a primary
or contributing factor.
The mental health crisis among America's veterans has reached an
alarming level. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for
veterans under the age of 45.
Despite ongoing efforts, the Department of Veterans Affairs struggles
to accurately track and report veteran suicides. This not only hinders
the development of effective policies but deprives survivors and
families of the support that they have earned and deserve.
Currently, the VA relies on county-level reporting that fails to
identify veteran status in nearly one in five cases. Additionally, many
self-harm deaths such as drug overdoses are excluded from suicide data.
The Justice for America's Veterans and Survivors Act fixes that issue
by requiring the VA to publish an annual report on causes of death
among veterans and it clarifies when suicide is a primary or a
secondary cause, including in cases of self-harm related deaths.
Proper cause-of-death reporting ensures families have access to the
benefits and resources that they are entitled to, and understanding the
full scope of the veteran suicide crisis is essential to creating
effective policies to save lives.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this legislation.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for
closing.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues, once again, to vote ``yes'' on
H.R. 3854, Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing
Act, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 3854, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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