Veterans Benefits Fairness and Transparency Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6493 To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the ability of veterans to access and submit disability benefit questionnaire forms of the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 14, 2020 Mr. BARR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the ability of veterans to access and submit disability benefit questionnaire forms of the Department of Veterans Af- fairs. 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 ‘‘Veterans Benefits 4 Fairness and Transparency Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:58 Apr 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6493.IH H6493 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6493 IH SEC. 2. PUBLICATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF DISABILITY 1 BENEFIT QUESTIONNAIRE FORMS OF DE- 2 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 3 Section 5101 of title 38, United States Code, is 4 amended— 5 (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub- 6 section (e); and 7 (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol- 8 lowing new subsection (d): 9 ‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary shall publish in a central loca- 10 tion on the internet website of the Department the dis- 11 ability benefit questionnaire form, or such successor form 12 relating to private medical providers submitting evidence 13 regarding a disability of a claimant. 14 ‘‘(2) Subject to section 6103 of this title, if the Sec- 15 retary modifies the form described in paragraph (1), the 16 Secretary shall accept the previous version of the form 17 filed by a claimant if— 18 ‘‘(A) the claimant files such form during the 19 one-year period following the date of such modifica- 20 tion; and 21 ‘‘(B) the form is signed and dated by the pri- 22 vate medical provider and is otherwise complete and 23 valid.’’. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:58 Apr 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6493.IH H6493 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS