What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to change the Department's computer systems to automatically process disability rating claims for certain veterans. The bill aims to speed up how the Department handles these specific claims.
Who It Affects
The Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans eligible for temporary disability ratings under federal law.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must update the Department's computer systems to automatically process claims for temporary disability ratings for specific veterans (Sec. 2(a))
• Medical evidence must come from the Department's corporate data warehouse, which is a central storage system for medical information (Sec. 2(b)(1))
• Department employees must continue to decide whether veterans qualify for temporary disability ratings (Sec. 2(b)(2))
• Claims can be processed by hand if there is not enough evidence to decide the claim or if medical records are in a format the computer system cannot read (Sec. 2(b)(3))
What Changes
If this becomes law, the Department of Veterans Affairs will have computer systems that automatically process certain temporary disability rating claims instead of processing them manually. The Department can still process claims by hand when necessary.
Important Definitions
None defined.
Effective Date
Not later than one year after the bill becomes law.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 196
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modify the information tech-
nology systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for
the automatic processing of claims for certain temporary disability rat-
ings, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 9, 2023
Mr. ROSENDALE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modify the
information technology systems of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to provide for the automatic processing
of claims for certain temporary disability ratings, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Expediting Temporary
4
Ratings for Veterans Act’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
00:38 Jan 19, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H196.IH
H196
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2
•HR 196 IH
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AUTOMATIC
1
PROCESSING OF CERTAIN CLAIMS FOR TEM-
2
PORARY DISABILITY RATINGS.
3
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the
4
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
5
erans Affairs shall modify the information technology sys-
6
tems of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for
7
the automatic processing of claims for temporary disability
8
ratings for veterans described in section 1156(a)(1)(C) of
9
title 38, United States Code.
10
(b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In providing for
11
the automatic processing of claims as required under sub-
12
section (a), the Secretary shall ensure that—
13
(1) medical evidence is obtained from the cor-
14
porate data warehouse of the Department;
15
(2) employees of the Department continue to
16
determine whether a veteran is eligible for a tem-
17
porary disability rating under section 1156(a)(1)(C)
18
of title 38, United States Code; and
19
(3) claims may be processed manually if the
20
evidence of record is not sufficient to decide the
21
claim or if the medical evidence is provided in a for-
22
mat that is not compatible with the system devel-
23
oped under subsection (a).
24
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
00:38 Jan 19, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H196.IH
H196
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS