Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), during the six-year period after the enactment of this Act, from requesting a medical examination in connection with a claim for veterans' disability compensation when the claimant submits medical evidence provided by a non-VA medical professional that is competent, credible, probative, and otherwise adequate for making a claim decision.
Requires the Secretary, during the same period: (1) to assign a prestabilization disability rating of total, 50%, or 30%, as appropriate; (2) to provide temporary minimum disability ratings for veterans not assigned a permanent rating; and (3) to not count any veteran assigned a prestabilization or temporary minimum rating under any backlog of unassigned ratings.
Authorizes the Secretary, during the same period, to certify benefit payments by mail or account deposit before the first day of the month for which such payments are due.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1980 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1980
To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs from requesting additional medical examinations of
veterans who have submitted sufficient medical evidence provided by
non-Department medical professionals and to improve the efficiency of
processing certain claims for disability compensation by veterans, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 14, 2013
Mr. Walz (for himself, Mr. Denham, Mr. Jones, Ms. Frankel of Florida,
Mr. Barber, Ms. Esty, Ms. Kuster, and Mr. O'Rourke) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs from requesting additional medical examinations of
veterans who have submitted sufficient medical evidence provided by
non-Department medical professionals and to improve the efficiency of
processing certain claims for disability compensation by veterans, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery
Act''.
SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE PROVIDED BY NON-DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN SUPPORT OF
CLAIMS DISABILITY COMPENSATION.
(a) In General.--Section 5103A(d) of title 38, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) During the six-year period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary may not request a medical
examination under paragraph (1) in the case of a claim for disability
compensation in support of which a claimant submits medical evidence
provided by a non-Department medical professional, including a non-
Department medical opinion, that is competent, credible, probative, and
otherwise adequate for purposes of making a decision on the claim.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to medical evidence submitted after the date that is
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESSING.
(a) Prestabilization Rates.--Section 1156 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections
(e) and (f), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new
subsection (c):
``(c) Prestabilization Rates.--During the six-year period beginning
on the date of the enactment of this subsection, in assigning to a
veteran a prestabilization rating pursuant to section 4.28 of title 38,
Code of Federal Regulations, (or successor regulation), the Secretary
shall assign such a rating at the level of total, 50 percent, or 30
percent, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.''.
(b) Temporary Minimum Rates.--Section 1156 of title 38, United
States Code, is further amended by inserting after subsection (c), as
added by subsection (a), the following new subsection (d):
``(d) Temporary Minimum Rates.--During the six-year period
beginning on the date of the enactment of this subsection, the
Secretary shall assign a temporary minimum disability rating to a
veteran who--
``(1) has one or more disabilities not covered under
subsection (a); and
``(2) submits a claim for such disability that has
sufficient evidence to support a minimum disability rating.''.
(c) Reporting of Claims Backlog.--During the six-year period
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall not include any veteran to whom the Secretary
has assigned a pre-stabilization rating under subsection (c) of section
1156 of such title, as added by subsection (a), or a temporary minimum
disability rating under subsection (d) of such section, as added by
subsection (b), in any count of the backlog of disability ratings to be
assigned by the Secretary.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act and shall apply with respect to claims for disability
compensation filed on or after that date.
SEC. 4. TIMING OF MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF BENEFITS UNDER THE LAWS
ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Section 5120(e) of title 38, United States Code,
is amended--
(1) by striking ``Whenever'' and inserting ``(1)
Whenever''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) During the six-year period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall certify benefit
payments for any calendar month in such a way that such payments will
be delivered by mail, or transmitted for credit to the payee's account
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, before the first day of the
calendar month for which such payments are issued.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to a calendar month that begins after the date that
is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
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