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116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 7926
To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for the electronic request
of certain records, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 4, 2020
Mr. COX of California (for himself and Mr. ROY) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for the
electronic request of certain records, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ensuring Veterans Ac-
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cess Act’’.
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SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC REQUEST OF CERTAIN RECORDS
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MAINTAINED BY THE SECRETARY OF VET-
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ERANS AFFAIRS.
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(a) ELECTRONIC RECORD REQUESTS.—Section 5702
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of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
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(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub-
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section (c); and
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(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
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lowing:
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‘‘(b)(1) The Secretary shall establish and maintain
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a secure, internet-based portal to ensure that a person or
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a duly authorized agent or representative of that person
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may submit an electronic request for such records.
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‘‘(2) The Secretary, upon receipt of a valid request
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made through the portal established under paragraph (1),
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shall provide to the requestor—
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‘‘(A) not later than 10 days after receipt, con-
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firmation of such receipt; and
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‘‘(B) not later than 120 days after receipt, such
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records requested in the form selected by the re-
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questor.’’.
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 5702(a)
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of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
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(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
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striking ‘‘in writing’’ and inserting ‘‘in writing, in-
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cluding an electronic request submitted through the
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portal established under subsection (b),’’;
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(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
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end;
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(3) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at
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the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
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(4) by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(3) the format in which such copy is desired,
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including whether in printed form or by download-
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able file.’’.
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(c) DEADLINE; ESTABLISHMENT
OF ELECTRONIC
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PORTAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the
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enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
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shall establish the portal required under section
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5702(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, as added by
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this Act, and, to the extent practicable, the Secretary shall
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utilize existing online resources of the Department of Vet-
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erans Affairs for the purposes of such establishment.
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Æ
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