United States 118th Congress Status: Died 3 R cosponsors

HR 7919 — Veterans Claims Quality Improvement Act of 2024

Last action — Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. Died in session

This bill died with 118th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain revisions to the manual of the Veterans Benefits Administration and to improve the quality of the adjudication of claims for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Bill Text

Sections of law this bill changes

3 sections in 2 laws

From the bill's own amending language, matched to the official United States Code (current through Public Law 119-124).

Department of veterans affairs · 38 U.S.C. ch. 3 1 section
  • § 311 General Counsel Amends

    38 U.S.C. § 311

    The law today

    There is in the Department the Office of the General Counsel. There is at the head of the office a General Counsel, who is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the Department and provides legal assistance to the Secretary concerning the programs and policies of the Department.

    Follow this section → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

Board of veterans’ appeals · 38 U.S.C. ch. 71 2 sections
  • § 7101 Composition of Board of Veterans’ Appeals Amends

    38 U.S.C. § 7101

    The law today

    (a) There is in the Department a Board of Veterans’ Appeals (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the “Board”). The Board is under the administrative control and supervision of a chairman directly responsible to the Secretary. The Board shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, and such number of members as may be found necessary in order to conduct hearings and dispose of appeals properly before the Board in a timely manner. The Board shall have such other professional, administrative, clerical, and stenographic personnel as are necessary in conducting hearings and considering and disposing of appeals properly before the Board. The Board shall have sufficient personnel under the preceding sentence to enable the Board to conduct hearings and consider and dispose of appeals properly before the Board in a timely manner. (b) (1) The Chairman shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of six years. The Chairman shall be subject to the same ethical and legal limitations and restrictions concerning involvement in political activities as apply to judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. (2) The Chairman may be removed by the President for misconduct, inefficiency, neglect of duty, or engaging in the practice of law or for physical or mental disability which, in the opinion of the President, prevents the proper execution of the Chairman’s duties. The Chairman may not be removed from office by the President on any other grounds. Any such removal may only be made after notice and opportunity for hearing. (3) The Chairman may be appointed under this subsection to more than one term. If, upon the expiration of the term of office for which the Chairman was appointed, the position of Chairman would become vacant, the individual serving as Chairman may, with the approval of the Secretary, continue to serve as Chairman until either appointed to another term or a successor is appointed, but not beyond the end of the Congress during which the term of office expired. (4) The Secretary shall designate one member of the Board as Vice Chairman. The Vice Chairman shall perform such functions as the Chairman may specify. Such member shall serve as Vice Chairman at the pleasure of the Secretary. (c) (1) (A) The Chairman may from time to time designate one or more employees of the Department to serve as acting members of the Board. Except as provided in subparagraph (B), any such designation shall be for a period not to exceed 90 days, as determined by the Chairman. (B) An individual designated as an acting member of the Board may continue to serve as an acting member of the Board in the making of any determination on a proceeding for which the individual was designated as an acting member of the Board, notwithstanding the termination of the period of designation of the individual as an acting member of the Board under subparagraph (A) or (C). (C) An individual may not serve as an acting member of the Board for more than 270 days during any one-year period. (D) At no time may the number of acting members exceed 20 percent of the total of the number of Board members and acting Board members combined. (2) In each annual report to the Congress under section 529 of this title, the Secretary shall provide detailed descriptions of the activities undertaken and plans made in the fiscal year for which the report is made with respect to the authority provided by paragraph (1) of this subsection. In each such report, the Secretary shall indicate, in terms of full-time employee equivalents, the number of acting members of the Board designated under such paragraph (1) during the year for which the report is made. (d) (1) After the end of each fiscal year, the Chairman shall prepare a report on the activities of the Board during that fiscal year and the projected activities of the Board for the fiscal year during which the report is prepared and the next fiscal year. Such r...

    8 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

  • § 7104 Jurisdiction of the Board; decisions; notice Amends

    38 U.S.C. § 7104

    The law today

    (a) All questions in a matter which under section 511(a) of this title is subject to decision by the Secretary shall be subject to one review on appeal to the Secretary. Final decisions on such appeals shall be made by the Board. Decisions of the Board shall be based on the entire record in the proceeding and upon consideration of all evidence and material of record and applicable provisions of law and regulation. (b) Except as provided in section 5108 of this title, when a claim is disallowed by the Board, the claim may not thereafter be readjudicated and allowed and a claim based upon the same factual basis may not be considered. (c) The Board shall be bound in its decisions by the regulations of the Department, instructions of the Secretary, and the precedent opinions of the chief legal officer of the Department. (d) Each decision of the Board shall include— (1) a written statement of the Board’s findings and conclusions, and the reasons or bases for those findings and conclusions, on all material issues of fact and law presented on the record; (2) a general statement— (A) reflecting whether evidence was not considered in making the decision because the evidence was received at a time when not permitted under section 7113 of this title; and (B) noting such options as may be available for having the evidence considered by the Department; and (3) an order granting appropriate relief or denying relief. (e) After reaching a decision on an appeal, the Board shall promptly issue notice (as that term is defined in section 5100 of this title) of such decision to the following: (1) The appellant. (2) Any other party with a right to notice of such decision. (3) Any authorized representative of the appellant or party described in paragraph (2). (f) (1) The Secretary may provide notice under subsection (e) electronically if a claimant (or the claimant’s representative) elects to receive such notice electronically. (2) A claimant (or the claimant’s representative) may revoke such an election at any time, by means prescribed by the Secretary.

    22 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

Also cites: 38 U.S.C. § 7101A, 38 U.S.C. § 7114

How this bill changes current law

8 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill amends the existing law to establish new requirements for review, training, and reporting related to the adjudication of claims for veterans' benefits.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 311

    There is in the Department → (a) In General.--There is in the Department

    The bill restructures the introduction of Section 311 to include a general statement about its content.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 311

    (b) Review of Revisions to Certain Manuals.--With respect to any revisions to the manuals of the Veterans Benefits Administration for the adjudication of a claim for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary that would have a material effect on such adjudication, the General Counsel shall review such revision.

    Establishes a requirement for the General Counsel to review revisions to manuals affecting claims adjudication.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 311

    (c) Program for Training.--The General Counsel shall develop and carry out a program to provide employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration who are responsible for drafting rules, guidance, or other issuances of the Veterans Benefits Administration training on such rules, guidance, or other issuances that-- (1) would have a material effect on the adjudication of a claim for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary; or (2) require review by the General Counsel.

    Mandates a training program for employees involved in drafting claims-related rules and guidance.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 7101

    (f)(1) The Chairman shall carry out a program to ensure quality in the decisions of the Board. Under such program, the Chairman shall-- (A) develop policies and procedures for-- (i) measuring quality in such decisions; (ii) maintaining data on-- (I) errors in such decisions; and (II) errors in decisions remanded or returned to the Board by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; and (iii) ensuring any such decision of the Board to remand a claim for a benefit under a law administered by the Secretary is necessary under any applicable law or regulation;

    Introduces a quality assurance program for decisions made by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 7101

    (2) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate an annual report on the program required by this subsection that includes, with respect to the period covered by the report, an identification of-- (A) elements, if any of the process of the Board for reviewing an appeal under this chapter that lead to errors in decisions of the Board; and (B) the most common reasons that a claim for a benefit under a law administered by the Secretary was remanded to such Board by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

    Requires annual reporting on the quality assurance program and errors in Board decisions.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 7101A

    not less often than once every three years → not less often than annually

    Changes the frequency of performance reviews for members of the Board to annually instead of once every three years.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 7104

    (1) with respect to a claim that the Board remands for further action, a statement of the specific reasons such claim was remanded, including any failure on the part of the Secretary to comply with-- (A) the Secretary's duty to assist under section 5103A of this title; and (B) the Secretary's duty to notify under section 5103 of this title.

    Requires a statement of the reasons for remanding a claim and compliance failures by the Secretary.

  • 38 U.S.C. § 7114

    The Chairman of the Board shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate an annual report that includes, for each decision of the Board to remand a claim for a benefit under a law administered by the Secretary to the Secretary for further adjudication during the period covered by the report, a statement of the reasons for such decision of the Board, disaggregated by decisions on-- (1) claims with a relevant decision dated on or after February 19, 2019; and (2) claims with a relevant decision dated before such date.

    Mandates an annual report on remand decisions by the Board with specific detail on reasons.

Action History

  1. Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

  2. Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

  3. Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

  4. Introduced in House

  5. Introduced in House

  6. Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

  7. Hearings Held by the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Prior to Referral.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 544 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (544)

544 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

veterans
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HR 7919 do?
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain revisions to the manual of the Veterans Benefits Administration and to improve the quality of the adjudication of claims for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Who sponsors HR 7919?
HR 7919 is sponsored by Luttrell, Morgan (Republican), Stefanik, Elise M. (Republican), and Bilirakis, Gus M. (Republican).
What is the current status of HR 7919?
This bill died with 118th Congress. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HR 7919?
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