[Senate Report 113-125]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                    113-125

======================================================================



 
 LEGISLATIVE AND OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES DURING THE 112TH CONGRESS BY THE 
                 SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

                                _______
                                

   December 13 (Legislative day, December 11), 2013.--Ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

         Mr. Sanders, from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

    Pursuant to paragraph 8 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules 
of the Senate, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs (hereinafter, 
``Committee'') submits its report on legislative and oversight 
activities during the 112th Congress.

                        I. HEARINGS AND MEETINGS


A. First Session (2011)

    During the First Session of the 112th Congress, the 
Committee held 18 hearings, including three field hearings and 
five joint hearings. At those events, the Committee heard 
testimony from 81 witnesses.
    One hearing (June 8) focused exclusively on legislation 
pending before the Committee. Testimony offered at this hearing 
covered 35 bills.
    On June 29, six measures were reported out of Committee. 
The Committee held one meeting to report nominations.
    Of primary focus for the Committee this session was 
veterans' transition and mental health care issues. To that 
end, the Committee held four hearings and one field hearing in 
order to better understand the growing needs of returning 
servicemembers and veterans as they transition back into 
civilian life. These hearings were held on April 13, May 18, 
May 25, July 27, and December 12 (a field hearing in Columbus, 
Ohio). Hearings related to mental health care were held on 
July 14 and November 30.
    The Committee held five joint hearings with the House 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs in order to receive legislative 
presentations from Veterans Service Organizations. These 
hearings were held on March 1, March 8, March 16, March 30, and 
September 21.
    The Committee held three field hearings during the First 
Session. These hearings were held on April 26 in Dayton, Ohio; 
December 12 in Quincy, Massachusetts; and December 12 in 
Columbus, Ohio. The field hearing in Dayton focused exclusively 
on improving patient safety and quality of care at the U.S. 
Department of Veterans Affairs (hereinafter, ``VA'') medical 
center. The remaining two hearings addressed issues surrounding 
claims backlog and employment challenges facing veterans.

B. Second Session (2012)

    During the Second Session of the 112th Congress, the 
Committee held 17 hearings, including three field hearings and 
four joint hearings. At those events, the Committee heard 
testimony from 77 witnesses.
    Two hearings (June 13 and June 27) focused exclusively on 
legislation pending before the Committee. Testimony offered at 
these hearings covered 47 bills.
    On September 12, six measures were reported out of 
Committee. The Committee held two meetings to report 
nominations.
    The Committee continued its focus on servicemembers' and 
veterans' transition and mental health care needs, holding an 
additional three hearings on April 4 (a field hearing in 
Tacoma, Washington), April 25, and May 23.
    The Committee held five joint hearings with the House 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs in order to receive legislative 
presentations from Veterans Service Organizations. These 
hearings were held on February 28, March 7, March 21, March 22, 
and October 3.
    The Committee held three field hearings during the Second 
Session. These hearings were held on April 4 in Tacoma, 
Washington; April 10 in Honolulu, Hawaii; and April 21 in 
Billings, Montana. The field hearing in Tacoma focused 
exclusively on transition. The remaining two hearings focused 
on the state of veterans' benefits and services in Hawaii and 
improving access to quality health care for rural veterans in 
Montana.

C. List of Hearings and Meetings Held in the 112th Congress

    (1) Tuesday, March 1, 2011
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to hear the 
legislative presentation of Disabled American Veterans
    (2) Wednesday, March 2, 2011
    Hearing: The President's Budget
    (3) Tuesday, March 8, 2011
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to hear the 
legislative presentation of Veterans of Foreign Wars
    (4) Wednesday, March 16, 2011
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to receive 
the legislative presentation of AMVETS, Jewish War Veterans, 
Military Officers Association of America, Gold Star Wives, 
Blinded Veterans Association, Non Commissioned Officers 
Association, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the 
Fleet Reserve Association
    (5) Wednesday, March 30, 2011
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to receive 
the legislative presentation of Air Force Sergeants 
Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed 
Veterans of America, National Association of State Directors of 
Veterans Affairs, Wounded Warrior Project, Vietnam Veterans of 
America, The Retired Enlisted Association, American Ex-
Prisoners of War
    (6) Wednesday, April 6, 2011
    Hearing: Nominations of Brig. Gen. Allison Hickey to be 
Under Secretary for Benefits and Steve Muro to be Under 
Secretary for Memorial Affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans 
Affairs
    (7) Wednesday, April 13, 2011
    Hearing: Veterans Employment: Improving the Transition from 
the Battlefield to the Workplace
    (8) Tuesday, April 26, 2011
    Field hearing on improving patient safety and quality care 
at the Dayton (Ohio) VA Medical Center
    (9) Wednesday, May 4, 2011
    Meeting: The Committee met off the Senate Floor and voted 
on the nomination of Brig. Gen. Allison Hickey to be Under 
Secretary for Benefits and Steve Muro to be Under Secretary for 
Memorial Affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A 
hearing for both nominations was held on April 6, 2011; their 
nominations were reported favorably by the Committee on May 4, 
2011; and they were confirmed by the Senate on May 26, 2011.
    (10) Wednesday, May 18, 2011
    Hearing: Seamless Transition--Improving VA/DOD 
Collaboration
    (11) Wednesday, May 25, 2011
    Hearing: Seamless Transition--Meeting the Needs of 
Servicemembers and Veterans
    (12) Wednesday, June 8, 2011
    Legislative Hearing: Legislation Pending Before the 
Veterans' Affairs Committee

          S. 277, Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011
          S. 396, Meeting the Inpatient Health Care Needs of 
        Far South Texas Veterans Act of 2011
          S. 411, Helping our Homeless Veterans Act of 2011
          S. 423, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code 
        (hereinafter, ``U.S.C.''), to provide authority for 
        retroactive effective date for awards of disability 
        compensation in connection with applications that are 
        fully-developed at submittal, and for other purposes
          S. 486, Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage 
        Abuses Act of 2011
          S. 490, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to increase 
        the maximum age for children eligible for medical care 
        under the CHAMPVA program, and for other purposes
          S. 491, Honor America's Guard-Reserve Retirees Act of 
        2011
          S. 536, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to provide 
        that utilization of survivors' and dependents' 
        educational assistance shall not be subject to the 48-
        month limitation on the aggregate amount of assistance 
        utilizable under multiple veterans and related 
        educational assistance programs
          S. 572, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to repeal 
        the prohibition on collective bargaining with respect 
        to matters and questions regarding compensation of 
        employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs other 
        than rates of basic pay, and for other purposes
          S. 666, Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Care 
        Improvement Act of 2011
          S. 696, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to treat 
        Vet Centers as Department of Veterans Affairs 
        facilities for purposes of payments or allowances for 
        beneficiary travel to Department facilities, and for 
        other purposes
          S. 698, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to codify 
        the prohibition against the reservation of gravesites 
        at Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes
          S. 745, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to protect 
        certain veterans who would otherwise be subject to a 
        reduction in educational assistance benefits, and for 
        other purposes
          S. 769, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to prevent 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from prohibiting the 
        use of service dogs on Department of Veterans Affairs' 
        property
          S. 780, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to exempt 
        reimbursements of expenses related to accident, theft, 
        loss, or casualty loss from determinations of annual 
        income with respect to pensions for veterans and 
        surviving spouses and children of veterans, and for 
        other purposes
          S. 815, Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act of 
        2011
          S. 873, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to provide 
        benefits for children with spina bifida of veterans 
        exposed to herbicides while serving in the Armed Forces 
        during the Vietnam era outside Vietnam, and for other 
        purposes
          S. 874, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to modify 
        the provision of compensation and pension to surviving 
        spouses of veterans in the months of the deaths of the 
        veterans, to improve housing loan benefits for 
        veterans, and for other purposes
          S. 894, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living 
        Adjustment Act of 2011
          S. 910, Veterans Health Equity Act of 2011
          S. 914, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to 
        authorize the waiver of the collection of copayments 
        for telehealth and telemedicine visits of veterans, and 
        for other purposes
          S. 928, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to limit 
        the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
        use bid savings on major medical facility projects of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand or change 
        the scope of a major medical facility project of the 
        Department, and for other purposes
          S. 935, a bill to require the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs to carry out a program of outreach to veterans, 
        and for other purposes
          S. 951, Hiring Heroes Act of 2011
          S. 957, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to improve 
        the provision of rehabilitation services for veterans 
        with traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes
          S. 1017, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to 
        increase assistance for disabled veterans who are 
        temporarily residing in housing owned by a family 
        member, and for other purposes
          S. 1060, Honoring All Veterans Act of 2011
          S. 1089, Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2011
          S. 1104, Veteran Transition Assistance Program Audit 
        Act of 2011
          S. 1123, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to improve 
        the provision of benefits and assistance under the laws 
        administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
        veterans affected by natural or other disasters, and 
        for other purposes
          S. 1124, Veterans Telemedicine Act of 2011
          S. 1127, Veterans Rural Health Improvement Act of 
        2011
          S. 1146, Alaska's Hero's Card Act of 2011
          S. 1147, Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans 
        Act of 2011
          S. 1148, Veterans Programs Improvement Act of 2011

    (13) Wednesday, June 29, 2011
    Meeting: Markup of Pending Legislation

     S. 277 (Committee Print), Caring for Camp Lejeune 
Veterans Act of 2011, to amend title 38, U.S.C., to furnish 
hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to 
veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 
while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune, and for other 
purposes
     S. 572, to amend title 38, U.S.C., to repeal the 
prohibition on collective bargaining with respect to matters 
and questions regarding compensation of employees of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs other than rates of basic pay, 
and for other purposes
     S. 745 (Committee Print), to protect certain 
veterans who would otherwise be subject to a reduction in 
educational assistance benefits, and for other purposes
     S. 894, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living 
Adjustment Act of 2011, to amend title 38, U.S.C., to provide 
for an increase, effective December 1, 2011, in the rates of 
compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities 
and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the 
survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes
     S. 914 (Committee Print), Veterans Programs 
Improvement Act of 2011, to amend title 38, U.S.C., to 
authorize the waiver of the collection of copayments for 
telehealth and telemedicine visits of veterans, and for other 
purposes
     S. 951 (Committee Print), Hiring Heroes Act of 
2011, to improve the provision of Federal transition, 
rehabilitation, vocational, and unemployment benefits to 
members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other 
purposes

    (14) Thursday, July 14, 2011
    Hearing: VA Mental Health Care: Closing the Gaps
    (15) Wednesday, July 27, 2011
    Hearing: Examining the Lifetime Costs of Supporting the 
Newest Generation of Veterans
    (16) Wednesday, September 21, 2011
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to hear the 
legislative presentation of The American Legion
    (17) Wednesday, November 30, 2011
    Hearing: VA Mental Health Care: Addressing Wait Times and 
Access to Care
    (18) Monday, December 12, 2011
    Field Hearing in Quincy, Massachusetts: Addressed concerns 
over delays in veterans' services related to the claims backlog 
and the Department of Veterans Affairs' plans to reduce the 
backlog
    (19) Monday, December 12, 2011
    Field Hearing in Columbus, Ohio: Focused on employment 
challenges facing veterans
    (20) Tuesday, February 28, 2012
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to hear the 
legislative presentation of Disabled American Veterans
    (21) Wednesday, February 29, 2012
    Hearing: The Fiscal Year 2013 Budget for Veterans' Programs
    (22) Wednesday, March 7, 2012
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to receive 
the legislative presentation of Veterans of Foreign Wars
    (23) Wednesday, March 14, 2012
    Hearing: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans--VA's Progress 
on its 5-Year Plan
    (24) Wednesday, March 21, 2012
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to receive 
the legislative presentation of Military Order of the Purple 
Heart, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, Non Commissioned 
Officers Association, American Ex-Prisoners of War, Vietnam 
Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Project, National 
Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, and The 
Retired Enlisted Association
    (25) Thursday, March 22, 2012
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to receive 
the legislative presentation of Paralyzed Veterans of America, 
Air Force Sergeants Association, Blinded Veterans Association, 
AMVETS, Gold Star Wives, Fleet Reserve Association, Military 
Officers Association of America, and Jewish War Veterans
    (26) Wednesday, March 28, 2012
    Hearing: Nominations of Margaret Bartley to be Judge of 
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and Coral 
Wong Pietsch to be Judge of United States Court of Appeals for 
Veterans Claims; their nominations were reported favorably by 
the Committee on April 26, 2012, and they were confirmed by the 
Senate on May 24, 2012.
    (27) Wednesday, April 4, 2012
    Field Hearing in Tacoma, Washington: Washington's Veterans: 
Helping the Newest Generation Transition Home
    (28) Tuesday, April 10, 2012
    Field Hearing in Honolulu, Hawaii: State of Veterans 
Benefits and Services in Hawaii
    (29) Saturday, April 21, 2012
    Field Hearing in Billings, Montana: Improving Access to 
Quality Healthcare for Rural Veterans
    (30) Wednesday, April 25, 2012
    Hearing: VA Mental Health Care: Evaluating Access and 
Assessing Care
    (31) Wednesday, May 23, 2012
    Hearing: Seamless Transition: Review of the Integrated 
Disability Evaluation System
    (32) Wednesday, June 13, 2012
    Legislative Hearing: Pending Economic Opportunity and 
Transition Legislation

          S. 1184, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to revise 
        the enforcement penalties for misrepresentation of a 
        business concern as a small business concern owned and 
        controlled by veterans or as a small business concern 
        owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and 
        for other purposes
          S. 1314, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to require 
        the Secretary of Labor to establish minimum funding 
        levels for States for the support of disabled veterans' 
        outreach program specialists and local veterans' 
        employment representatives
          S. 1634, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to improve 
        the approval and disapproval of programs of education 
        for purposes of educational benefits under laws 
        administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and 
        for other purposes
          S. 1798, the Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011
          S. 1852, the Spouses of Heroes Education Act
          S. 1859, a bill to provide that section 3330a, 3330b, 
        and 3330c of title 5, U.S.C., relating to 
        administrative and judicial redress and remedies for 
        preference eligibles, shall apply with respect to the 
        Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation 
        Security Administration
          S. 2130, the Veterans Conservation Corps 
        Authorization Act
          S. 2179, the Military and Veterans Educational Reform 
        Act of 2012
          S. 2206, the GI Educational Freedom Act of 2012
          S. 2241, the GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of 2012
          S. 2246, the TAP Modernization Act of 2012
          S. 2299, the Servicemembers Rights Enforcement 
        Improvement Act of 2012
          S. 3082, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to 
        establish the National Veterans Support Network to 
        carry out activities to support and supplement the 
        mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
        other purposes
          S. 3179, the Servicemember Housing Protection Act of 
        2012
          S. 3210, the Veterans Small Business Opportunity Act 
        of 2012
          S. 3233, the Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 
        2012
          S. 3235, Helping Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Return 
        to Employment at Home Act
          S. 3236, Servicemember Employment Protection Act of 
        2012

    (33) Wednesday, June 27, 2012
    Legislative Hearing: Pending Health and Benefits 
Legislation

          S. 1264, the Veteran Voting Support Act of 2011
          S. 1391, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to improve 
        the disability compensation evaluation procedure of the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs for veterans with post-
        traumatic stress disorder or mental health conditions 
        related to military sexual trauma, and for other 
        purposes
          S. 1631, a bill to authorize the establishment in the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs of a center for 
        technical assistance for non-Department health care 
        providers who furnish care to veterans in rural areas, 
        and for other purposes
          S. 1705, a bill to designate the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, 
        as the ``Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs 
        Medical Center''
          S. 1707, the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act
          S. 1755, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to provide 
        for coverage under the beneficiary travel program of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs of certain disabled 
        veterans for travel for certain special disabilities 
        rehabilitation, and for other purposes
          S. 1799, the Access to Appropriate Immunizations for 
        Veterans Act of 2011
          S. 1806, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
        1986 to allow taxpayers to designate overpayments of 
        tax as contributions to the homeless veterans 
        assistance fund
          S. 1838, a bill to require the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs to carry out a pilot program on service dog 
        training therapy, and for other purposes
          S. 1849, the Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement 
        Act
          S. 2045, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to require 
        judges of the United States Court of Appeals for 
        Veterans Claims to reside within fifty miles of the 
        District of Columbia, and for other purposes
          S. 2244, the Veterans Missing in America Act of 2012
          S. 2259, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living 
        Adjustment Act of 2012
          S. 2320, the Remembering America's Forgotten Veterans 
        Cemetery Act of 2012
          S. 3049, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to expand 
        the definition of homeless veteran for purposes of 
        benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary 
        of Veterans Affairs
          S. 3052, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to require 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans, 
        when such veterans electronically file claims for 
        benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, with 
        notice that relevant services may be available to the 
        veterans from Veterans Service Organizations, and for 
        other purposes
          S. 3084, the VISN Reorganization Act of 2012
          S. 3202, the Dignified Burial of Veterans Act of 2012
          S. 3206, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to extend 
        the authorization of appropriations for the Secretary 
        of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly assistance 
        allowance to disabled veterans training or competing 
        for the Paralympic Team and the authorization of 
        appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
        provide assistance to United States Paralympics, Inc., 
        and for other purposes
          S. 3238, a bill to designate the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs community based outpatient clinic in 
        Mansfield, Ohio, as the David F. Winder Department of 
        Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic, and 
        for other purposes
          S. 3270, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to require 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to consider the 
        resources of individuals applying for pension that were 
        recently disposed of by the individuals for less than 
        fair market value when determining the eligibility of 
        such individuals for such pension and for other 
        purposes
          S. 3282, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to 
        reauthorize the Veterans' Advisory Committee on 
        Education, and for other purposes
          S. 3308, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to improve 
        the furnishing of benefits for homeless veterans who 
        are women or who have dependents, and for other 
        purposes
          S. 3309, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Improvement 
        Act of 2012
          S. 3313, the Women Veterans Health and Other Care 
        Improvement Act of 2012
          S. 3316, a bill to require the Secretary of Labor to 
        carry out a pilot program on providing veterans with 
        access at One-Stop Centers to Internet websites to 
        facilitate online job searches, and for other purposes
          S. 3324, a bill to authorize the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit 
        organizations for the construction of facilities for 
        temporary lodging in connection with the examination, 
        treatment, or care of a veteran under laws administered 
        by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
        purposes
          S. 3336, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to 
        authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry 
        out a major medical facility project lease for a 
        Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic at Ewa 
        Plain, Oahu, Hawaii, and for other purposes
          S. 3340, the Mental Health Access to Continued Care 
        and Enhancement of Support Services Act of 2012 or 
        Mental Health ACCESS Act of 2012

    (34) Wednesday, July 18, 2012
    Hearing: Nomination of Thomas Sowers II to be Assistant 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Public and Intergovernmental 
Affairs); his nomination was reported favorably by the 
Committee on August 2, 2012, and was confirmed by the Senate 
the same day.
    (35) Wednesday, September 12, 2012
    Meeting: Markup of Pending Legislation

     S. 3340 (Committee Print), to improve the 
provision of mental health care to members of the Armed Forces 
and veterans, to improve assistance to homeless veterans, to 
improve the provision of health care and benefits to veterans, 
and for other purposes
     S. 3322 (Committee Print), to strengthen 
enforcement and clarify certain provisions of the 
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and chapter 43 of title 38, 
U.S.C., and for other purposes
     S. 3313 (Committee Print), to amend title 38, 
U.S.C., to improve the reproductive assistance provided by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs to severely wounded veterans and 
their spouses, and for other purposes
     S. 2259, to provide for an increase, effective 
December 1, 2012, in the rates of compensation for veterans 
with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency 
and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain 
disabled veterans, and for other purposes
     S. 2241 (Committee Print), to ensure that veterans 
have the information and protections they require to make 
informed decisions regarding use of Post-9/11 Educational 
Assistance, and for other purposes
     S. 1707, to amend title 38, U.S.C., to clarify the 
conditions under which certain persons may be treated as 
adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain purposes

    (36) Wednesday, October 3, 2012
    Joint Hearing with the House of Representatives to receive 
the legislative presentation of The American Legion
    (37) Wednesday, December 12, 2012
    Hearing: Nomination of Keith Kelly to be Assistant 
Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training and 
William S. Greenberg to be Judge of the United States Court of 
Appeals for Veterans Claims
    (38) Friday, December 21, 2012
    The Committee discharged the nominations of Keith Kelly to 
be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and 
Training and William S. Greenberg to be Judge of the United 
States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. A hearing on both 
nominations was held on December 12, 2012. Keith Kelly's 
nomination was also referred to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions, who discharged by unanimous 
consent. Judge Greenberg was confirmed by the Senate on 
December 21, 2012. Mr. Kelly was confirmed by the Senate on 
January 1, 2013.

                            II. LEGISLATION


A. First Session (2011)

    In the First Session, the Committee met in open session on 
June 29, 2011, and ordered reported six pieces of legislation 
to the full Senate.

    1. S. 277, the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011
    To furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing 
home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North 
Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune, and 
for other purposes. This measure was introduced in the Senate 
on February 3, 2011, and the Committee ordered it to be 
favorably reported on June 29, 2011. S. Report 112-42 was filed 
on August 1, 2011. No further action was taken on this bill in 
the 112th Congress.
    2. S. 572, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to repeal the 
prohibition on collective bargaining with respect to matters 
and questions regarding compensation of employees of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs other than rates of basic pay, 
and for other purposes. This measure was introduced in the 
Senate on March 14, 2011, and the Committee ordered it 
favorably reported on June 29, 2011. S. Report 112-68 was filed 
on September 6, 2011. No further action was taken on this bill 
in the 112th Congress.
    3. S. 745, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to protect 
certain veterans who would otherwise be subject to a reduction 
in educational assistance benefits, and for other purposes. 
This measure was introduced in the Senate on April 6, 2011, and 
the Committee ordered it to be favorably reported, as amended, 
on June 29, 2011. This bill was reported on July 19, 2011, 
without a written report. No further action was taken on this 
bill in the 112th Congress.
    4. S. 894, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment 
Act of 2011
    To provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2011, in 
the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected 
disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity 
compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, 
and for other purposes. This measure was introduced in the 
Senate on May 5, 2011, and the Committee ordered it favorably 
reported on June 29, 2011. S. Report 112-44 was filed on 
August 1, 2011. The Senate unanimously passed the bill on 
October 19, 2011, and the House voted to pass it on November 2, 
2011. The bill was signed into law on November 9, 2011, as 
Public Law 112-53.
    5. S. 914, Veterans Programs Improvement Act of 2011
    To authorize the waiver of the collection of copayments for 
telehealth and telemedicine visits of veterans, and for other 
purposes. This measure was introduced on May 9, 2011, and the 
Committee ordered it to be favorably reported, as amended, on 
June 29, 2011. S. Report 112-88 was filed on October 11, 2011. 
No further action was taken on this bill in the 112th Congress.
    6. S. 951, Hiring Heroes Act of 2011
    To improve the provision of Federal transition, 
rehabilitation, vocational, and unemployment benefits to 
members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other 
purposes. This measure was introduced on May 11, 2011, and the 
Committee ordered it to be favorably reported, as amended, on 
June 29, 2011. S. Report 112-36 was filed on July 18, 2011. No 
further action was taken in the 112th Congress.

    In addition, during the first session the Committee 
discharged by unanimous consent several pieces of legislation, 
as follows:

    1. H.R. 1383, Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011, was 
received in the Senate on May 24, 2011. On July 21, 2011, the 
bill was discharged from the Committee and passed with 
amendments in the Senate. The House agreed to the Senate 
amendments on July 26, 2011, and the measure was signed into 
law as Public Law 112-26 on August 3, 2011.
    2. S. Res. 55, a resolution expressing support for 
designation of a ``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day,'' was 
discharged by the Committee and agreed to in the Senate without 
amendment and with a preamble on March 7, 2011.
    3. S. Con. Res. 4, a concurrent resolution expressing the 
sense of Congress that an appropriate site on Chaplains Hill in 
Arlington National Cemetery should be provided for a memorial 
marker to honor the memory of the Jewish chaplains who died 
while on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, 
was discharged by the Committee and agreed to in the Senate 
with amendment and with a preamble on May 26, 2011. No further 
action was taken in the 112th Congress.

B. Second Session (2012)

    In the Second Session, the Committee met in open session on 
September 12, 2012, and ordered to be favorably reported a 
combined total of six pieces of legislation to the full Senate.

    1. S. 1707, the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act
    To clarify the conditions under which certain persons may 
be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain 
purposes. This measure was introduced on October 13, 2011, and 
the Committee ordered it to be favorably reported on 
September 12, 2012. No further action was taken in the 112th 
Congress.
    2. S. 2241, GI Bill Consumer Awareness Act of 2012
    To ensure that veterans have the information and 
protections they require to make informed decisions regarding 
use of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance, and for other 
purposes. This measure was introduced on March 27, 2012, and 
the Committee ordered it to be favorably reported on 
September 12, 2012. No further action was taken in the 112th 
Congress.
    3. S. 2259, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living 
Adjustment Act of 2012
    To provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2012, in 
the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected 
disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity 
compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, 
and for other purposes. This measure was introduced on 
March 29, 2012, and the Committee ordered it to be favorably 
reported on September 12, 2012. No further action was taken in 
the 112th Congress.
    4. S. 3313, Women Veterans and Other Health Care 
Improvements Act of 2012
    To amend title 38, U.S.C., to improve the reproductive 
assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
severely wounded, ill, or injured veterans and their spouses, 
and for other purposes. This measure was introduced on June 19, 
2012, and the Committee ordered it to be favorably reported, as 
amended, on September 12, 2012. S. 3313, as further amended, 
passed the Senate by voice vote on December 13, 2012.
    5. S. 3322, Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2012
    To strengthen enforcement and clarify certain provisions of 
the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the Uniformed and Overseas 
Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and chapter 43 of title 38, 
U.S.C., and to reconcile, restore, clarify, and conform similar 
provisions in other related civil rights statutes, and for 
other purposes. This measure was introduced on June 20, 2012, 
and the Committee ordered it to be favorably reported on 
September 12, 2012. No further action was taken in the 112th 
Congress.
    6. S. 3340, Mental Health Access to Continued Care and 
Enhancement of Support Services of 2012 or Mental Health ACCESS 
Act of 2012
    To improve and enhance the programs and activities of the 
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs 
regarding suicide prevention and resilience and behavioral 
health disorders for members of the Armed Forces and veterans, 
and for other purposes. This measure was introduced on June 25, 
2012, and the Committee ordered it to be favorably reported on 
September 12, 2012. No further action was taken in the 112th 
Congress.

    In addition, during the Second Session the Committee 
discharged several bills by unanimous consent, as follows:

    1. S. 2045, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to require 
judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans 
Claims to reside within fifty miles of the District of 
Columbia, and for other purposes, was introduced on January 31, 
2012. This measure was discharged from the Committee and agreed 
to in the Senate on December 13, 2012. No further action was 
taken in the 112th Congress.
    2. S. 3202, the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' 
Benefits Improvement Act of 2012, was introduced on May 17, 
2012. This measure was discharged from the Committee and agreed 
to in the Senate with an amendment on December 19, 2012. The 
House passed the bill on December 30, 2012, and the measure was 
signed into law as Public Law 112-260 on January 10, 2013.
    3. H.R. 1627, Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for 
Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, was passed by the House on 
May 23, 2011. This measure was discharged from the Committee 
and agreed to in the Senate with an amendment and an amendment 
to the title on July 18, 2012. The House agreed to the Senate 
amendments on July 31, 2012, and the bill was signed into law 
as Public Law 112-154 on August 6, 2012.
    4. H.R. 4057, Improving Transparency of Education 
Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012, was passed in the House 
on September 11, 2012. This measure was discharged from the 
Committee and agreed to in the Senate with an amendment on 
December 19, 2012. The House agreed to the Senate amendments on 
December 30, 2012, and the measure was signed into law as 
Public Law 112-249 on January 10, 2013.
    5. H.R. 4114, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living 
Adjustment Act of 2012, was passed by the House on July 9, 
2012. This measure was discharged from the Committee and agreed 
to in the Senate on November 13, 2012. The bill was signed into 
law as Public Law 112-198 on November 27, 2012.

C. Reports

    S. 277, the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011. 
S. Report 112-42.
    S. 572, a bill to amend title 38, U.S.C., to repeal the 
prohibition on collective bargaining with respect to matters 
and questions regarding compensation of employees of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs other than rates of basic pay, 
and for other purposes. S. Report 112-68.
    S. 894, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment 
Act of 2011. S. Report 112-44.
    S. 914, Veterans Programs Improvement Act of 2011. S. 
Report 112-88.
    S. 951, Hiring Heroes Act of 2011. S. Report 112-36.

D. Public Laws

            Senate Vehicle
    S. 894, Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act 
of 2011 is Public Law 112-53.
    S. 3202, the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits 
Improvement Act of 2012 is Public Law 112-260.
            House Vehicle
    H.R. 1383, Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011 is Public 
Law 112-26.
    H.R. 1627, Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp 
Lejeune Families Act of 2012 is Public Law 112-154.
    H.R. 4057, Improving Transparency of Education 
Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012, Public Law 112-249.
    H.R. 4114, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment 
Act of 2012 is Public Law 112-198.

                             III. OVERSIGHT


A. First Session (2011)

    In accordance with its mandate, the Committee engaged in 
vigorous oversight of VA Regional Offices, hospitals, and other 
health care facilities, as well as Department of Defense 
(hereinafter, ``DOD'') facilities.
    A primary focus for the Committee is VA compliance with 
policies and regulations in the processing of disability 
compensation claims for veterans with service-connected 
conditions. Toward this end, the Committee's Majority staff 
visited nine VA Regional Offices, the Appeals Management 
Center, and VA's Compensation Service offices for review of 
electronic files in 2011. Staff examined individual claims in 
these offices, identifying patterns of serious errors or 
omissions, relaying that information to VA leadership so that 
it could improve the training, oversight, and accuracy of VA 
claims decisions.
    Other areas of specific concern for Majority Committee 
staff included the review of claims from Naval veterans for 
conditions related to herbicide exposure. As a result of 
ongoing oversight efforts, VA continues to update a central 
database with a list of ships for which service on the inland 
waterways of Vietnam has been documented. At the request of the 
Committee, VA continues to publish the updated list on VA's Web 
site so that veterans and advocates can easily identify ships 
and time periods for exposure to herbicide. The list continues 
to grow, benefiting thousands of veterans.
    Oversight of claims for conditions related to herbicide 
exposure also resulted in the Committee's Majority staff 
receiving clarification from VA that veterans exposed to 
herbicides on the perimeters of Air Bases in Thailand are 
eligible for an earlier effective date if a previous claim had 
been denied before military records of exposure had been 
discovered.
    Also audited by the Committee Majority staff were decisions 
for post traumatic stress disorder; the quality of medical 
examinations conducted by VA medical examiners; and the 
adequacy of quality-control measures employed by VA to ensure 
accurate and consistent claims decisions.
    In a related effort, Majority Committee staff traveled to 
the Indianapolis and Salt Lake City Regional Offices to examine 
the testing and implementation of VA's claims transformation 
efforts, including the processing of claims using the Veterans 
Benefits Management System (hereinafter, ``VBMS''), VA's 
paperless claims processing system. The Majority Committee 
staff was joined by Minority Committee staff in a visit to the 
Philadelphia Regional Office to review ongoing claims 
transformation efforts as well as the Pension Management Center 
and VA's Insurance Program.
    Committee oversight also focused on programs and efforts 
designed to help servicemembers transition to civilian status. 
Majority and Minority Committee staff placed significant 
attention on the transition of servicemembers through the 
Integrated Disability Evaluation System (hereinafter, 
``IDES''), visiting DOD facilities in Washington, North 
Carolina, Hawaii, and California. Majority Committee staff also 
visited DOD facilities in Fort Carson, Colorado, to review IDES 
and Warrior Transition Units.
    Committee Majority and Minority staff visited VA Medical 
Centers, Clinics, and Vet Centers located in Pennsylvania, 
Massachusetts, and Connecticut. These visits focused on broader 
quality-of-care issues, research programs, and the availability 
of services for specific populations such as women veterans and 
recently separated veterans. Committee Majority staff visited 
VA Medical Centers, Clinics, and Vet Centers located in 
Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado, Maine, and Illinois. These 
visits also focused on broader quality-of-care issues, research 
programs, and the availability of services for specific 
populations such as women veterans and recently separated 
veterans. Staff also focused on access to specialty care and 
the quality and timeliness of surgical referrals. While in 
Colorado, staff visited the Health Acquisitions Center to 
discuss the management of claims processing in an effort to 
strengthen the recovery of health care resources. In addition, 
Committee Majority staff visited the Air Force Academy in 
Colorado Springs to examine the challenges surrounding the 
delivery of health care in the VA-DOD outpatient surgery joint 
venture.
    A key focus of Committee staff was to ensure that VA's 
programs for homeless veterans were being managed and operated 
appropriately. Toward this end, Committee Majority and Minority 
staff visited the National Center on Homelessness Among 
Veterans in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to discuss research on 
emerging best practices in ending veteran homelessness. 
Committee Majority and Minority staff also visited VA's 
Northeast Program Evaluation Center in West Haven, Connecticut, 
and to assess data collection and aggregation on existing 
homeless veteran programs.
    In a related effort, Committee staff visited grantees that 
operate a range of housing and employment programs for homeless 
veterans in the District of Columbia, Virginia, Tennessee, 
Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Of particular 
interest to the Majority Committee staff was VA's Homeless 
Grant and Per Diem Program. Staff conducted an audit of the 
annual inspection reports to identify opportunities for 
improvement among grantees and modernization of the program.
    In addition, Committee Minority staff visited the VA 
Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.
    Committee Majority staff visited the National Cemetery in 
Hawaii. Regarding GI Bill benefits, Majority staff visited 
educational institutions in the District of Columbia, Hawaii, 
and Ohio.

B. Second Session (2012)

    Building on findings of field investigations from the first 
session, the Majority Committee staff continued its 
investigation into the administration of VA's disability 
compensation system. Majority investigative staff traveled to 
nine VA Regional Offices to closely examine individual claims 
and audited, through remote technology, the adjudication of 
claims in several other VA Regional Offices. In addition, 
several visits were made to the Providence Regional Office to 
monitor the testing and progression of VBMS.
    Majority and Minority Committee staff continued oversight 
of VA's efforts to transform the compensation claims system 
with visits to the St. Petersburg and Nashville Regional 
Offices. Staff reviewed implementation of various initiatives 
designed to improve the timeliness and accuracy of claim 
decisions, including simplified notification letters and 
quality review teams. The Majority Committee staff also visited 
Fort Harrison Regional Office shortly after implementation of 
VBMS to review ongoing efforts to deploy the paperless claims 
processing system.
    Building upon efforts from the first session of the 112th 
Congress, Majority Committee staff continued to closely monitor 
efforts to assist servicemember transition to civilian status. 
Minority Committee staff were also present during some of these 
visits. Oversight efforts focused on the status of VA/DOD 
collaboration, including the status of the integrated 
Electronic Health Record program, the Virtual Lifetime 
Electronic Record, and IDES. As part of this oversight, staff 
traveled to: Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care 
Center, North Chicago, Illinois; VA San Diego Healthcare 
System, San Diego, California; Naval Medical Center San Diego, 
San Diego, California; VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 
Seattle, Washington; Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, 
Washington; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Fort Lewis, 
Washington. Staff identified ongoing issues related to the 
efficacy of VA/DOD collaboration, including the need for better 
coordination of business processes and interoperability of 
information technology systems between the two departments. 
Majority Committee staff continue to believe that an end-to-end 
shared information solution between the departments is 
essential to ensuring a servicemember's seamless transition 
from active duty into the VA system.
    Majority and Minority Committee staff traveled to DOD and 
VA facilities to evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives 
aimed at better coordination between the two Departments in the 
evaluation of service-connected disabilities among 
servicemembers. Facilities visited included Fort Knox, multiple 
DOD facilities in Hawaii, and the Reserve Components Medical 
Support Center located in Pinellas Park, Florida. Each of these 
visits focused on the effectiveness of IDES, the joint DOD and 
VA disability evaluation system. Committee staff also visited 
VA's Systematic Technical Accuracy Review program offices in 
Nashville, Tennessee, to review the accuracy of claims 
decisions provided to servicemembers involved in IDES.
    Majority Committee staff also conducted extensive reviews 
of electronic and paper files of servicemembers and veterans 
who participated in the Disability Evaluation System 
(hereinafter, ``DES'') and IDES to evaluate the quality of 
mental health examinations, evaluations, and diagnoses. The 
results of these reviews were consolidated in an ``Interim 
Committee Staff Report: Investigation of Joint Disability 
Evaluation System'' that outlined ongoing challenges confronted 
by servicemembers navigating this joint disability evaluation 
system.
    A critical component of seamless transition is 
participation in the Transition Assistance Program 
(hereinafter, ``TAP''). TAP has continued to be an area of 
focus for Committee staff due to its importance in educating 
transitioning servicemembers about the programs and benefits 
that are available to them as they enter civilian life. 
Committee Majority staff traveled to Naval Station Norfolk to 
evaluate the revamped TAP.
    The number of veterans and dependents taking advantage of 
their GI Bill benefits continues to grow. The Majority staff of 
the Committee visited Arizona State University and the 
University of Alaska Fairbanks to evaluate the Vet Success on 
Campus Program (hereinafter, ``VSOC'') and other similar 
initiatives designed to assist student veterans to assimilate 
into the campus environment. As a result of this oversight, the 
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program (hereinafter, 
``VR&E'') worked with VA's Education Service to ensure that 
VSOC counselors had dedicated points of contact at Regional 
Processing Offices. VR&E also provided additional training for 
VSOC counselors to ensure that standardized services are 
delivered program-wide.
    Committee Majority and Minority staff examined quality-of-
care issues at VA Medical Centers, Clinics, and Vet Centers in 
California, Washington, Texas, and Florida. Committee Majority 
staff also visited Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, 
Massachusetts, and West Virginia. Staff focused on broader 
quality-of-care issues and the availability of services for 
specific populations such as women veterans and recently 
separated veterans.
    Of particular interest to the Committee was wait times for 
mental health appointments. Committee Majority staff visited 
five Community Based Outpatient Clinics and two Vet Centers in 
the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia to examine 
appointment wait times and the environment of care.
    One priority issue examined by the Committee Majority staff 
was access to care for Native American and Alaska Native 
veterans. Staff visited two Alaska Native health care 
facilities and the Department of Navajo Veterans Affairs to 
obtain input on how access to medical care can improve and how 
to increase awareness of available benefits.
    A key focus of the Committee staff was responding to the 
increasing number of women veterans experiencing homelessness. 
At the Committee Majority staff's request, VA reviewed the 
placements of homeless women veterans in transitional housing 
facilities to ensure that their privacy, safety, and security 
needs were being met. This resulted in women veterans being 
placed in more appropriate facilities that would better meet 
their needs.
    As a part of the Committee Majority's focus on the ongoing 
effects of the Vietnam war, staff traveled to Vietnam. The 
visit focused on the impacts of Agent Orange exposure and the 
search and recovery of remains of those servicemembers still 
missing from the war in Vietnam.
    Committee Majority staff also visited National Cemeteries 
in Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, and California.

                            IV. NOMINATIONS



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Date of       Date of        Date          Date
                    Name and Position                      Nomination      Hearing      Reported      Confirmed
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Session

  Allison A. Hickey.....................................     1/5/2011      4/6/2011      5/4/2011     5/26/2011
    Under Secretary for Benefits of the Department of
     Veterans Affairs
  Steve L. Muro.........................................     1/5/2011      4/6/2011      5/4/2011     5/26/2011
    Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial
     Affairs
  Margaret Bartley......................................    6/22/2011     3/28/2012     4/26/2012     5/24/2012
    Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for
     Veterans Claims
  Gloria Wilson Shelton.................................    6/22/2011            --            --            --
    Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for
     Veterans Claims

Second Session

  Coral Wong Pietsch....................................    11/1/2011     3/28/2012     4/26/2012     5/24/2012
    Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for
     Veterans Claims
  Constance B. Tobias...................................    1/24/2012            --            --            --
    Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals
  Thomas Skerik Sowers II...............................    5/10/2012     7/18/2012      8/2/2012      8/2/2012
    Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  Keith Kelly...........................................    9/19/2012    12/12/2012            --      1/1/2013
    Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans'
     Employment and Training
  William S. Greenberg..................................   11/15/2012    12/12/2012            --    12/21/2012
    Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for
     Veterans Claims
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                    V. BUDGET FOR VETERANS PROGRAMS


A. First Session (2011)

    Pursuant to the requirements of section 301(d) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, Democratic and Republican 
Members of the Committee submitted a letter to the Budget 
Committee reflecting the Committee's Views and Estimates on the 
Administration's proposed fiscal year 2012 budget for veterans' 
programs. The letter submitted is printed below in its 
entirety:

                                                    March 18, 2011.
Hon. Kent Conrad, Chairman,
Hon. Jeff Sessions, Ranking Member,
Committee on the Budget,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Chairman Conrad and Ranking Member Sessions: Pursuant 
to Section 301(d) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the 
Undersigned Members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
hereby report to the Committee on the Budget their views and 
estimates on the Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) budget for Function 
700 (Veterans' Benefits and Services) and for Function 500 
(Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services) programs 
within the Committee's jurisdiction, including the Court of 
Appeals for Veterans Claims. This letter responds to the 
Committee's obligation to provide recommendations on veterans' 
programs within its jurisdiction, albeit from the perspective 
of the Undersigned Members.

                               I. Summary

    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
the FY12 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) but 
recommend an increase, above the Department's requested 
discretionary amounts, of $9 million for the Office of 
Inspector General and $72 million for Medical and Prosthetic 
Research. In addition, the Undersigned Members recommend $24 
million above the President's request for the Department of 
Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service. The result 
of these recommendations is an overall funding recommendation 
of $105 million above the President's requested discretionary 
amount for FY12.
    We are mindful that some accounts in this letter recommend 
funding increases and, to the extent practicable, the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs will identify funding within our 
jurisdiction to keep total spending for VA and other entities 
within the Committee's jurisdiction to the President's 
requested level for FY12. For example, the Committee has 
identified $25 million that has been requested from the Court 
of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) that, in the Undersigned 
Members' opinion, could be better used in other areas. In 
addition to exploring changes to the increase in funding for 
general administration in the President's request, we will 
follow the lead of the recommendations of the President's 
National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform by 
examining the increases to employee travel accounts, which 
potentially could be shifted to more critical missions within 
VA.
    With respect to mandatory benefits, sufficient offsets 
should be identified to avoid imposing a Cost-of-Living 
Adjustment (COLA) round-down for the upcoming fiscal year.

                   II. Discretionary Account Spending


A. Medical Services

    The President requests an overall funding amount of $40.05 
billion for Medical Services for FY12, an increase of $2.92 
billion over the amount in FY11. This amount includes a 
rescission of $552 million as part of the President's freeze on 
pay for Executive Branch employees. We support the President's 
request for an additional $2.92 billion in funding for Medical 
Services, as described in greater detail below:

Components of Recommended Increases

            1. Health Care Services
    Acute Care: VA provides veterans with acute care services 
that include inpatient hospital care, ambulatory care, and 
pharmacy services. Inpatient acute care services include 
neurology and surgery. Ambulatory care includes care provided 
at VA hospital-based and community-based clinics, as well as 
contracted non-VA facilities. Pharmacy services include 
prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and pharmacy 
supplies. VA estimates the demand for such services will cost 
$28.18 billion in FY12, necessitating an additional $1.85 
billion in needed funding over the FY11 amount.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $1.85 billion for acute care funding for FY12.
    Rehabilitation: VA's rehabilitative care programs include 
the Blind Rehabilitation and Spinal Cord Injury programs, among 
others. Pursuant to Public Law 104-262, which established the 
requirement that VA maintain its capacity to provide for the 
specialized treatment and rehabilitative needs of patients, the 
Administration is expanding the Blind Rehabilitation program to 
accommodate the increased workload due to additional numbers of 
eye injuries among Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi 
Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $14.9 million in funding for FY12 for VA's 
rehabilitation programs.
    Mental Health: Funding for mental health supports 
inpatient, residential, and outpatient mental health programs. 
The number of veterans diagnosed with substance abuse problems 
is increasing, as are the average daily census for inpatient 
programs and the number of outpatient visits, necessitating 
more resources for mental health services. As VA integrates 
mental health care with primary care, completes the 
implementation of the Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook, 
implements new screening and treatment deadlines, increases 
access and outreach, and expands training for providers, more 
funds will be required. VA is also working with the Department 
of Defense (DOD) to implement the Integrated Mental Health 
Strategy, which will increase collaboration between the 
Departments to ensure that all veterans and servicemembers are 
captured by the system.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $195.5 million in funding over FY11 levels for 
mental health services, for a total funding amount of $4.25 
billion for FY12.
    Prosthetics: VA provides funds to veterans for the purchase 
and repair of prosthetics and sensory aids, such as artificial 
limbs, hearing aids, pacemakers, artificial hip and knee 
joints, ocular lenses, and wheelchairs. VA estimates the demand 
for such prosthetics and repairs to cost $2.49 billion in FY12 
and requests an additional $322 million in needed funding over 
the FY11 amount. We have seen some new data that show dramatic 
increases in amputations among casualties of the current 
conflicts. Some of the most shocking statistics include that 
twice as many wounded soldiers needed a limb amputated than in 
the previous two years. This is an area where the Committee 
intends to do more oversight to ensure that there are 
sufficient resources to provide prosthetics to the casualties 
of the current conflicts.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $322 million in funding for FY12, for a total 
amount of $2.49 billion to meet the demand for prosthetics in 
FY12.
    Dental Care: VA provides veterans with dental care services 
that include onetime Class II benefits to all newly discharged 
combat OEF/OIF/OND veterans within 180 days of discharge. Class 
II benefits are provided to veterans with service-connected, 
non-compensable dental conditions or disabilities shown to have 
been in existence at the time of discharge or release from 
active duty. VA also provides dental services to veterans 
placed into dental Classifications III and IV, those with a 
condition negatively impacted by poor dentition. VA estimates 
the demand of such services will cost $490.8 million in FY12, 
necessitating an additional $19.3 million in funding over the 
FY11 funding amount.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $19.3 million in funding for FY12, for a total 
funding amount of $490.8 million for dental care for FY12.
    Contingency Fund: This year, VA has requested the creation 
of a contingency fund to supplement the amounts requested 
above. This fund is intended to make available additional sums 
that VA could need if the economy continues to be weak and 
unemployment high, therefore bringing more veterans into the VA 
system and increasing their reliance on it. This is the first 
year that the Enrollee Health Care Projection Model, the tool 
VA uses to project utilization of the health care system, has 
incorporated an adjustment for these factors. In order to 
release funds from the proposed contingency fund, a joint 
request by VA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
would be required. Unused sums would be returned to the 
Treasury. The Undersigned Members are skeptical about the 
President's request for the creation of a contingency fund and 
for an amount of $953 million to be placed in that fund. 
However, this Committee will be closely monitoring VA's 
quarterly status reports that describe financial status and 
program performance.
    Long-Term Care: VA projects the institutional care average 
daily census (ADC) will increase from 40,184 to 40,843 (1.6 
percent) from 2011 to 2012, and the non-institutional care ADC 
will increase from 109,256 to 113,926 (4.3 percent) from 2011 
to 2012.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $478.6 million in funding for FY12, for a total 
funding amount of nearly $5.4 billion for long-term care 
services.
    Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA): CHAMPVA provides health care 
benefits for dependents and survivors of veterans who are, or 
were at time of death, 100 percent permanently and totally 
disabled from a service-connected disability, or who died from 
a service-connected condition. Of note, the family caregivers 
program mandated by Public Law 111-163 requires VA to extend 
CHAMPVA eligibility to primary family caregivers who do not 
have another form of health insurance.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $98.1 million in funding for FY12 and support the 
requested total funding amount of approximately $1.18 billion 
for CHAMPVA services. However, the Undersigned Members will be 
ensuring amounts are sufficient to account for the increases in 
CHAMPVA usage that will result from the implementation of the 
family caregiver program mandated by Public Law 111-163.
    Readjustment Counseling: VA furnishes readjustment 
counseling at VA's Vet Centers to veterans who served in combat 
zones, including those involved in OEF/OIF/OND. VA had 300 Vet 
Centers operating across the country in 2010, and had 1.37 
million visits. Vet Centers provide essential counseling 
related to combat service, bereavement counseling for families 
of servicemembers who die while on active duty, as well as 
outreach and referral services. VA expects an increase in post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health 
conditions as veterans return from OEF/OIF/OND after multiple 
tours of duty. The President requests $189 million in total 
funding for FY12 to meet the increasing demand for readjustment 
counseling.
    Therefore, the Undersigned Members support an additional $8 
million in funding for FY12 and recommend a total of $189 
million in funding for readjustment counseling.
            2. Operational Improvements
    While the Undersigned Members of the Committee support the 
expansion of many existing initiatives in the areas of mental 
health, readjustment counseling, and rehabilitative care, as 
discussed above, we believe that more can and should be done--
especially in the areas of homelessness, mental health care, 
and family caregiving. The Undersigned Members look forward to 
examining the Administration's proposed initiatives, 
improvements, and legislative proposals.
    The President's request also includes a proposal to realign 
clinical staff in a way VA anticipates will be more efficient 
and is projected to generate $150.8 million in savings in the 
first year. Under the realignment, VA would convert 1,446 
physician and registered nurse positions into 1,165 licensed 
practical nurses, nursing assistant, and other similar provider 
positions. The Undersigned Members are concerned about possible 
detrimental effects on the quality of or access to care for 
veterans. For our part, we will work to ensure that any 
conversions are carried out in a responsible manner.
            3. Major and Minor Construction:
    The Administration requested $589.6 million for Major 
Construction in FY12, which is a decrease of $604.4 million 
from the FY10 funding level. Although this request supports 
seven medical facility projects already underway and begins 
three new medical facility projects, there remains a huge 
backlog of partially-funded and unfunded construction projects. 
The Major Construction request also fully funds the resources 
required to support gravestone expansion at the National 
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, providing a burial option to 
an additional 9,000 deceased veterans and eligible family 
members, and allowing the cemetery to maintain its status as a 
National Shrine.
    For Minor Construction, the Administration's budget request 
of $550.1 million would reduce the account from its FY10 level 
by over $235 million. However, the costs of repairing all of 
the facilities in need of repair--via minor construction and 
non-recurring maintenance funds--would total $10 billion.
    While VA's new Strategic Capital Investment Plan (SCIP) is 
a useful baseline for future capital planning and while it 
succeeds in some areas, it fails to express an overarching 
national vision on VA's capital investments and their impact on 
the delivery of health care. SCIP has identified $53-65 billion 
in improvements that should be made over the next ten years to 
ensure that facilities keep up with advances in health care, 
prevent excessive deterioration, and maintain facilities that 
are able to meet the pace of demand. Keeping in mind that the 
average VA building is approximately 60 years old, and that 
funding for repairs and maintenance has been historically 
limited, VA must begin to define an overarching national 
strategy based on the gaps defined in SCIP. Among the proposals 
in the President's budget request are $1 billion for new 
facility projects, $700 million for leases, and $700 million 
for facility renovation projects. In this difficult financial 
environment, VA is advised to outline a comprehensive national 
plan to meet its physical infrastructure needs in the most 
timely and cost-effective method.
    In the absence of such a plan, the Undersigned Members 
support the President's budget request for Major and Minor 
Construction. We expect that in future years, SCIP will better 
define VA's nation-wide strategy on physical infrastructure 
that will allow for timely and cost-effective delivery of 
health care.
            4. Policy Highlights:
    Women Veterans: Women veterans are the fastest growing 
segment of veterans. The percentage of women veterans is 
expected to rise substantially over the next two decades. While 
VA is an institution originally designed and focused toward 
serving male veterans, there is a crucial need to adapt to this 
change in the veteran population.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $28 million in funding for women veterans. An 
increase in the FY12 budget toward women veteran specific 
programs is a positive sign that VA is making an effort to 
quickly improve services for the rapidly growing number of 
women veterans.
    The Undersigned Members encourage VA to maximize its use of 
existing legislative tools and already appropriated funding to 
finish implementing Title II of Public Law 111-163, the 
Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, 
which contains six vital provisions, including a childcare 
pilot program.
    Homeless Veterans: In an effort to end homelessness among 
veterans, VA proposes to enhance its current efforts to house 
homeless veterans by expanding the capacity of its programs to 
assist homeless veterans. Included in this funding are programs 
to provide timely interventions, such as supportive services to 
veterans at risk of becoming homeless through the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and VA pilot programs to 
help OEF/OIF/OND veterans, per diem grants for community-based 
programs, intensive case management services for HUD-VA 
Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher recipients, among other 
programs.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request for 
an additional $139.4 million, to ensure that VA maintains its 
commitment to ending veteran homelessness by the year 2015.
    Permanent supportive housing has been recognized by both VA 
and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness as a 
key component of the plan to end veteran homelessness, and we 
support its continued growth. While it is outside of our 
purview, the Undersigned Members would also like to express our 
commitment to maintaining sufficient HUD funding to support the 
appropriate number of HUD-VASH vouchers.

B. Medical Support and Compliance

    The Medical Support and Compliance appropriation provides 
funding for the expenses of management, security, and 
administration of the VA health care system Such costs include 
operation of VA medical centers, Veterans Health Administration 
(VHA) headquarters, VISN offices, Facility Director offices, 
Chief of Staff operations, quality of care oversight, security 
and legal services, billing and coding activities, procurement, 
financial management, and human resource management.
    The President's FY12 and FY13 estimates for the Medical 
Support and Compliance appropriation are based on an actuarial 
analysis founded on current and projected veteran population 
statistics, enrollment projections of demand, and case mix 
changes associated with current veteran patients. This amount 
also includes a $111 million rescission of funds as part of the 
President's freeze on pay for Executive Branch employees.
    We support the President's recommendation of $117 million 
in funding over FY11 levels for Medical Support and Compliance.

C. Medical Facilities

    The Medical Facilities account includes funding for non-
recurring maintenance, project management, construction design 
and planning, facility operations, and other costs. We 
specifically are delighted to see that the President's budget 
submission directs a minimum of five percent of all non-
recurring maintenance to medical research facilities. The 
Department's research facilities are in poor condition and have 
historically had difficulty in receiving funds to conduct 
needed maintenance.
    We support the President's recommendation for $364 million 
less in funding over FY11 levels for Medical Facilities, with 
an exception. VA has currently identified $10 billion in 
facility condition deficiencies, which increase operating costs 
and potentially pose safety hazards. We note with concern that 
the decrease in non-recurring maintenance funding of $241 
million may exacerbate the problem.
    The Undersigned Members expect that the funding level for 
non-recurring maintenance will be adequate to maintain current 
levels of services and ask that funding be redirected to 
correcting these deficiencies.

D. Medical and Prosthetic Research

    VA medical and prosthetic research is key to advancing 
health care in the nation, not only for veterans, but for the 
population at large. As the nation's largest health care 
network, VA has unparalleled resources with which to conduct 
research, including its cadre of dedicated physician 
researchers. It is for this reason that the Undersigned Members 
are concerned by the Administration's request to cut funding 
for this account by $72 million. VA's request includes 
eliminating 82 research projects and $40.58 million in cuts to 
other ongoing research.
    The Undersigned Members recommend a total of $581 million 
for FY12, which is equal to the FY11 amount, and $72.2 million 
above the President's request for FY12.

E. Information Technology

    The President's budget for Information and Technology (IT) 
funding represents a decrease of $146 million from the 
estimated FY11 funding level.
    VA's IT budget submission outlines 16 major transformative 
initiatives, operations and maintenance of existing 
infrastructure, and IT security that will be supported by this 
request. According to VA, these initiatives will fund efforts 
to create a paperless claims system; lifetime electronic 
medical records enhancements; veteran relationship management 
software; and infrastructure and reinvestment to maintain the 
over 330,000 desktop computers within VA.
    While VA's IT development and management has improved in 
recent years, the Committee's concerns must be noted. 
Specifically, we are concerned about how DOD and VA are working 
to realize the joint Presidential initiative--the Virtual 
Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER)--launched in April 2009. VLER 
was designed with the goal of closing the data gap between 
active duty and veteran status and providing automated 
information access to veterans and their families. VLER is 
scheduled to allow system wide health data exchange in 2012, 
with expanded types of records exchange by 2015. To date, 
however, slow progress has yielded only two small-scale pilots 
exchanging health data across DOD, VA, and the private sector. 
More health records exchange sites are planned for later this 
year. However, it is unlikely that VA and DOD will meet the 
2012 goal of full integration of electronic health records.
    In general, however, the Undersigned Members are pleased to 
laud VA's progress in managing project schedules, costs, and 
performance under Project Management Accountability System 
(PMAS). Further transparency has been gained by publishing an 
on-line dashboard of ongoing IT projects. As a result, PMAS has 
exceeded an 80 percent success rate of meeting project 
milestones. All IT projects, from health informatics research 
to paperless claims processing, are managed by PMAS. Recently, 
PMAS called for the halting of the development of a software 
program due to cost and schedule overruns. This was an 
appropriate response which reinforces the purpose of PMAS: to 
ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget.
    The Undersigned Members agree that Congress should invest 
in transforming VA into a 21st Century organization, while 
carefully monitoring these developments.

F. Compensation, Pension, and Burial Staffing and Training

    VA must take aggressive action to improve the claims 
adjudication process, with a focus on training and quality. The 
Undersigned Members believe the Administration's request for 
compensation, pension, and burial staffing in FY12 is necessary 
to mitigate the impact of the recent decision to extend 
presumptive service-connection for certain conditions 
associated with exposure to Agent Orange, an increase in claims 
receipts, and a growing complexity in claims adjudication.
    Staffing: For FY12, the President requests 15,983 Full-time 
Equivalents (FTE) for compensation, pension, and burial 
staffing. This represents a slight increase over the FY11 
level.
    Workload: The disability claims workload from OEF/OIF 
veterans, as well as from veterans of earlier periods, has 
continuously increased since 2000. For example, annual claims 
grew from 788,298 in 2005 to 1,192,346 in 2010. In 2011, VA 
anticipates claims receipts will rise to 1,480,492. Of that 
amount, approximately 230,000 will be Agent Orange-related 
claims for one of the three new presumptive conditions 
(Ischemic Heart Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Hairy Cell 
Leukemia and other chronic B-cell Leukemias). Of those claims, 
approximately 93,000 are covered by the Nehmer settlement--
meaning they were previously denied and must be readjudicated.
    Claims received by VA are increasingly complex and require 
more time to develop and rate. In 2010, original claims for 
compensation with eight or more claimed issues increased from 
43,655 in 2005 to 70,620 in 2010--a 62 percent increase.
    In addition, VA anticipates that reopened claims for 
increased benefits will continue to grow as compensation 
recipients, many of whom suffer from chronic progressive 
disabilities (such as diabetes, mental illness, and 
cardiovascular disease) age, and their conditions worsen. 
During 2010, reopened disability claims made up 59 percent of 
all disability claims received.
    Timeliness: VA estimates that, even with its direct labor 
FTE, it will take an average of 230 days to complete a 
compensation and pension rating-related claim during FY12. This 
is 105 days longer than VA's strategic target--125 days. The 
Undersigned Members believe that VA must be able to absorb new 
court decisions, changes in legislation and regulation, and the 
impact of other unforeseen events, and, above all, to avoid 
becoming paralyzed to the detriment of the veterans who rely on 
it. The Undersigned Members additionally believe that this 
cannot be accomplished through staffing alone and will monitor 
VA's other initiatives, including the Veterans Benefits 
Management System (VBMS), which seeks a favorable impact on the 
system.
    The Undersigned Members will continue to monitor VBA's 
staffing requirements and output in FY12. We also will look to 
the Administration to show how it is holding managers and 
employees accountable for performance given the resources that 
will be provided.
    Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Information 
Technology: The President's FY12 budget submission includes $70 
million for the Secretary's IT transformational initiative. 
VBMS is VA's proposed paperless IT solution that the Department 
plans to deploy nationwide by 2015. It is designed to be the 
platform to pull together all software related to disability 
claims. VA plans to deliver new functionalities to VBMS monthly 
under its ``agile software development model,'' allowing 
continual improvement and expanded functionality. VA believes 
that, over time, VBMS will more efficiently enable claims 
processing by reducing the time it takes to adjudicate a claim 
by eliminating the use and handling of paper claims folders.
    The Undersigned Members support the President's request in 
this area and intend to conduct rigorous oversight of VA's 
deployment of VBMS.
    Training: The President's FY12 budget submission for VBA's 
Office of Employee Training and Development includes $12.9 
million for training of Compensation and Pension (C&P) 
personnel. According to VA, this funding would support entry-
level training for new claims processors, on-line training for 
new and experienced claims processors, nationally standardized 
lesson materials for local delivery to experienced claims 
processors, and electronic performance support systems to 
accelerate claims-processing decisions.
    The Undersigned Members are disappointed that the 
President's Budget request did not provide many particulars on 
training for C&P staff to enable the Committee to better 
understand the effect of training--and what more can be done to 
assure accuracy in claims adjudication. Given the Secretary's 
commitment to improve quality to 98 percent by 2015, the 
Undersigned Members believe that the Department should provide 
greater details on how the Department intends to reach this 
goal, and what role training will have in improving quality to 
this extent. The Undersigned Members believe that training is 
an essential component of any strategy to improve the 
timeliness and accuracy of claims processing and hope that the 
quality of claims that are adjudicated will not suffer as VA 
undertakes this effort.

G. Board of Veterans' Appeals

    The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA or Board) is 
responsible for making final Departmental decisions on behalf 
of the Secretary for the thousands of benefits claims presented 
for appellate review annually. From 2008 to 2010, case receipts 
at the Board increased by 22 percent. On average, BVA receives 
on appeal 5 percent of all claims decided by VA. From 2008 to 
2012, the Board expects a 63 percent increase in case receipts 
from 40,916 to 66,000.
    The President's FY12 request for BVA is $78 million, which 
would support 544 FTE and allow the Board to sustain the FY11 
level of FTE. With this level of funding, the Board anticipates 
that it will be able to reduce its appeals resolution time by 5 
days, from 695 to 690, in 2012. BVA's strategic target is 675 
days.
    The Undersigned Members agree with the President's 
assessment and support the request. However, we will monitor 
BVA's caseload to reassess staffing needs if necessary.

H. Education

    The VBA's Education Service provides veterans, 
servicemembers, Reservists, and certain family members with 
educational resources. The implementation of the Post-9/11 
Veterans Educational Assistance Program has presented a 
challenge to VA in terms of making timely and accurate payments 
since its effective date on August 1, 2009. The enactment of 
the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act 
of 2010 early this year as Public Law 111-377 is expected to 
present an additional hurdle for delivery of benefits.
    The President's FY12 budget request calls for a reduction 
in FTE from the FY11 level--from 1,812 to 1,595. At the same 
time, there is a surge in the number of anticipated claims 
receipts over the actual FY10 levels, as well as changes 
mandated by the new public law, which need to be integrated 
into the program. The Undersigned Members are aware of the 
improvements in education claims processing times as a result 
of the implementation of the GI Bill Long Term Solution 
software. This software will also begin to accept education 
claims on line, which may further improve processing times. At 
this time, we have no justification for recommending any 
increase over the President's recommendation. However, the 
Undersigned Members intend to monitor the situation closely and 
will recommend additional resources if necessary.

I. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment

    The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Program 
provides training, education, and other services to enable 
veterans to obtain and maintain employment after sustaining 
service-connected disabilities. The President's FY12 budget 
request calls for an increase of $15.2 million over FY11 and 
FY10. The VR&E workload has continued to grow, with an expected 
10 percent caseload increase in FY12. The President's request 
would also allow for greater outreach by co-locating counselors 
on college campuses with the VetSuccess program. The 
Undersigned Members support this initiative. In addition, the 
President's FY12 budget request includes funding to extend--
VR&E services to those servicemembers who are enrolled in the 
Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) program. 
However, VA and DOD have not provided a detailed plan to 
support this initiative. Although we strongly support efforts 
to provide appropriate vocational rehabilitation services for 
veterans with service-connected disabilities, we currently have 
no basis for assessing the potential value of this initiative. 
We recommend the Budget Committee withhold funds that support 
this initiative until VA and DOD provide a detailed plan 
outlining the role of VR&E in IDES.

J. Department of Labor, Veterans' Employment and Training Service

    The Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) of the 
Department of Labor provides veterans and transitioning 
servicemembers with resources and services designed to maximize 
employment opportunities, protect employment and re-employment 
rights, and achieve positive employment outcomes.
    The President's FY12 budget proposes an increase of $2 
million in the amount designated for the Transition Assistance 
Program (TAP). The resources available for TAP should permit 
VETS to deliver more than 6,100 Employment Workshops to 
separating servicemembers throughout the world. In addition, 
the Administration's budget request includes an additional $3 
million for the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program 
(HVRP), which is focused on placing homeless veterans into 
jobs. This increase for HVRP will allow VETS to provide 
services to nearly 27,000 homeless veterans--including 
populations at increased risk such as incarcerated veterans re-
entering the community, homeless women veterans, and veterans 
with dependent children who are homeless. This funding supports 
the inter-agency initiative to end homelessness among veterans.
    The Undersigned Members are concerned by the unacceptably 
high rate of unemployment among veterans from the current 
conflicts who are encountering difficulties making a transition 
to civilian life. This, in turn, causes concern about the 
effectiveness of existing employment and training programs for 
veterans, and the Committee will closely examine whether 
modifications are necessary. In the meantime, we would 
recommend that $24 million be reallocated within the 
President's budget request in order to permit the Committee to 
consider legislation to address the employment needs of 
veterans. Although the Committee has not yet agreed to a path 
forward, we expect that legislation will be introduced in the 
very near future to initiate the process. This change would 
increase the budget request for VETS to $285 million.

K. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

    The CAVC, a legal body independent of VA, is vested with 
the authority to review decisions of the BVA regarding 
veterans' and family members' entitlement to benefits offered 
by VA. The Court is empowered to affirm, vacate, reverse, or 
remand decisions made by BVA, as well as compel actions of the 
Secretary, where such action is necessary to bring VA into 
accordance with the law. During FY10, the Court received 4,341 
case filings--a drop from the 4,725 filed in FY09.
    The Court's budget request of roughly $55.8 million for 
FY12 is approximately $34 million less than the FY11 requested 
level of $90 million. Of the $90 million, $62 million was a 
proposed increase attributable to the construction of a new 
courthouse. The construction estimate was, at the time of the 
Court's FY11 request, consistent with the General Services 
Administration's (GSA) estimate of the costs of land 
acquisition and construction for the courthouse. Since then, 
the GSA estimate has been modified to $117 million--not 
including the cost of acquiring the parcel of land that the 
Court would like to build upon.
    The Court's FY12 request includes $25 million toward the 
construction of a new courthouse. At this time, the Undersigned 
Members cannot support the requested funding for the courthouse 
given the health care and benefits needs of veterans across the 
nation.
    The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program requests 
approximately $2.7 million for FY12, an increase of $211 
thousand over the level requested for FY11. The Pro Bono 
Program recently brought on a new Executive Director and has 
taken steps to become a stand-alone entity--the increase in 
funding would cover the additional costs associated with this 
goal. The Undersigned Members look forward to hearing details 
of the Program's goal of becoming a stand-alone entity and how 
this would affect the function and funding-needs of the Program 
in future years.

L. Office of Inspector General

    The work of the VA Office of the Inspector General (IG) has 
made significant contributions to management effectiveness 
throughout VA. The IG conducts vital oversight investigations 
and audits of various aspects of the Department's operations 
and budget.
    Unfortunately, the President's request of $109 million 
would virtually flat-line funding for the IG's office for the 
third straight year. At this level of resources, the IG's 
office would have to further triage reactive oversight work 
requested by the Secretary and the Congress. Funding the IG's 
office at the level of the President's request may also 
increase risks for veterans in the critical areas of quality of 
health care; quality and timeliness of claims processing for 
monetary benefits; and the transition back to civilian life for 
OEF/OIF/OND servicemembers.
    The Committee relies heavily on the IG's office for 
unbiased investigations and audits. The Undersigned Members 
recognize the importance of this office and recommend that $9 
million be provided over the President's request to allow the 
IG's office to continue to address problem areas as they arise, 
and allow for new oversight initiatives--including 
homelessness, mental health, and Information Technology.

                    III. Mandatory Account Spending

    The Undersigned Members support the President's FY12 budget 
request that would provide $70.3 billion for mandatory 
benefits. In addition, the Undersigned Members recommend that 
sufficient offsets be identified to end the COLA round-down.

A. Cost-of-Living Adjustment

    Under current law, the COLA applied to veterans' disability 
compensation and survivors' Dependency and Indemnity 
Compensation is rounded down to the next lowest whole dollar. 
VA compensation is sometimes the sole source of income for a 
veteran and his or her family. Over time, the effect of a COLA 
round-down can be substantial. We owe it to our nation's 
veterans to provide them with appropriate compensation, the 
value of which should not be reduced by inflation. Although the 
legal authority for an automatic COLA round-down is set to 
expire in 2013, we recommend that sufficient offsets be 
identified to end the COLA round-down ahead of schedule.
    The Undersigned Members recommend that the Budget 
Resolution include sufficient funding to not impose a COLA 
round-down.

                              IV. Closing

    We thank the Budget Committee for its attention to the 
Undersigned Members' views and estimates of the 
Administration's Fiscal Year 2012 budget. We look forward to 
working with the Budget Committee to craft a budget for 
veterans' programs that truly meets the needs of those who have 
served our country.
            Sincerely,

Patty Murray,
    Chairman.
John D. Rockefeller IV.
Daniel K. Akaka.
Bernard Sanders.
Sherrod Brown.
Jim Webb.
Jon Tester.
Mark Begich.
Richard Burr,
    Ranking Member.
Scott P. Brown.
John Boozman.

B. Second Session (2012)

    Pursuant to the requirements of section 301(d) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, Chairman Murray submitted a 
letter to the Budget Committee reflecting the Committee's Views 
and Estimates on the Administration's proposed fiscal year 2013 
budget for veterans' programs. The letter submitted is printed 
below in its entirety:



                     COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

PATTY MURRAY, Washington, Chairman
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina, Ranking Member ROCKEFELLER IV, West 
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia              Virginia
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi         DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii
MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska               BERNARD SANDERS, (I) Vermont
SCOTT P. BROWN, Massachusetts        SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  JIM WEBB, Virginia
JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas               JON TESTER, Montana
                                     MARK BEGICH, Alaska
    Kim Lipsky, Staff Director
  Lupe Wissel, Republican Staff 
             Director

                                  
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