Department of Veterans Affairs Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Processing Claims Improvement Act of 2023

II 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1635 To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain actions to improve the processing by the Department of Veterans Affairs of claims for disability compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 17, 2023 Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. ROUNDS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain actions to improve the processing by the Department of Veterans Affairs of claims for disability compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other pur- poses. 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 ‘‘Department of Vet- 4 erans Affairs Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Processing 5 Claims Improvement Act of 2023’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:45 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1635.IS S1635 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •S 1635 IS SEC. 2. IMPROVING PROCESSING BY DEPARTMENT OF VET- 1 ERANS AFFAIRS OF DISABILITY CLAIMS FOR 2 POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. 3 (a) TRAINING FOR CLAIMS PROCESSORS WHO HAN- 4 DLE CLAIMS RELATING TO POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS 5 DISORDER.— 6 (1) UPDATE TRAINING PROGRAMS.—Not later 7 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 8 this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, act- 9 ing through the Under Secretary for Benefits, up- 10 date an ongoing, national training program for 11 claims processors who review claims for compensa- 12 tion for service-connected post-traumatic stress dis- 13 order. 14 (2) PARTICIPATION REQUIRED.—Beginning on 15 the date that is 180 days after the date of the enact- 16 ment of this Act, the Secretary shall require that 17 each claims processor described in paragraph (1) 18 participates in the training established under para- 19 graph (1) at least once each year beginning in the 20 second year in which the claims processor carries out 21 the duties of the claims processor for the Depart- 22 ment. 23 (3) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—The training estab- 24 lished under paragraph (1) shall include instruction 25 on stressor development and verification. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:45 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1635.IS S1635 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •S 1635 IS (b) STANDARDIZATION OF TRAINING AT REGIONAL 1 OFFICES.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 2 enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the 3 Under Secretary, shall standardize the training provided 4 at regional offices of the Veterans Benefits Administration 5 to the employees of such regional offices. 6 (c) FORMAL PROCESS FOR CONDUCT OF ANNUAL 7 ANALYSIS OF TRENDS.—Not later than 180 days after the 8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting 9 through the Under Secretary, shall establish a formal 10 process to analyze, on an annual basis, training needs 11 based on identified processing error trends. 12 (d) FORMAL PROCESS FOR CONDUCT OF ANNUAL 13 STUDIES.— 14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 15 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 16 retary, acting through the Under Secretary, shall es- 17 tablish a formal process to conduct, on an annual 18 basis, studies to help guide the national training 19 program established under subsection (a)(1). 20 (2) ELEMENTS.—Each study conducted under 21 paragraph (1) shall cover the following: 22 (A) Military post-traumatic stress disorder 23 stressors. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:45 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1635.IS S1635 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •S 1635 IS (B) Decision-making claims for claims 1 processors. 2 (e) ANNUAL UPDATES TO POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS 3 DISORDER PROCEDURAL GUIDANCE.—Not later than 180 4 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and not 5 less frequently than once each year thereafter, the Sec- 6 retary, acting through the Under Secretary, shall evaluate 7 the guidance relating to post traumatic stress disorder to 8 determine if updates are warranted to provide claims proc- 9 essors of the Department with better resources regarding 10 best practices for claims processing, including specific 11 guidance regarding development of claims involving com- 12 pensation for service-connected posttraumatic stress dis- 13 order. 14 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:45 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1635.IS S1635 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB