{"format":1,"id":"118-hr-1226","congress":118,"number":"H.R. 1226","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act","title_source":"Short Titles as Enacted","official_title":"To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for the electronic request of certain records, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for the electronic request of certain records, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act"},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed Senate","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 118-21","introduced":"2023-02-28","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2023-03-07","vote":{"id":"118-2023-h132","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Wounded Warrior Access Act","result":"Passed","yea":422,"nay":0,"present":0,"not_voting":12,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll132.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2023-11-02","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent."}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2023-11-13"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 118-21.","date":"2023-11-13"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2023-11-13","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Wounded Warrior Access Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain a secure online tool or website to enable a claimant or their representative to make records requests related to VA claims and benefits. Requests for records must specify in which format the copy is desired. The VA must notify a requester within 10 days that their request has been received and must fulfill the request within 120 days."},{"k":"p","t":"The act also requires the VA to ensure that each time a claimant logs in to a website or online tool of the VA, the website or online tool displays in plain language (1) a warning regarding violations of laws related to agents and attorneys, (2) a link to an online tool to report violations, (3) a link to an online tool to search for a VA-recognized agent or attorney, and (4) a link to a website or online tool providing final decisions on discipline of agents and attorneys for violations."}],"words":166},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to set up an online tool for requesting records related to VA claims and to display warnings and links about unrecognized claim representatives when claimants log in to VA websites.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr#H1E181BF97A444AE59936CB47E64D70DE:~:text=2.%20Electronic%20request%20of%20certain%20records%20maintained"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr#H8F571B55BADE4D32B42FF8BCA3AE7323:~:text=3.%20Warnings%20to%20claimants%20under%20laws%20administered"}]},"core_areas":["Electronic requests for Department of Veterans Affairs claim records","Login warnings and links about recognized and unrecognized claim representatives"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and maintain a secure website or online tool for a claimant or the claimant's recognized agent or representative to submit an electronic request for records.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr#H1E181BF97A444AE59936CB47E64D70DE:~:text=2.%20Electronic%20request%20of%20certain%20records%20maintained"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to confirm receipt of a valid request not later than 10 days after receipt, and to provide the requested records in the form the requestor selected not later than 120 days after receipt.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr#H1E181BF97A444AE59936CB47E64D70DE:~:text=2.%20Electronic%20request%20of%20certain%20records%20maintained"}},{"text":"Amends section 5702(a) of title 38 so that a written records request may be an electronic request, and so that a request states the format in which the copy is desired, including printed form or downloadable file.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr#H1E181BF97A444AE59936CB47E64D70DE:~:text=2.%20Electronic%20request%20of%20certain%20records%20maintained"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to establish the records request website or online tool not later than one year after enactment, and to use existing Department of Veterans Affairs online resources to the extent practicable.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr#H1E181BF97A444AE59936CB47E64D70DE:~:text=2.%20Electronic%20request%20of%20certain%20records%20maintained"}},{"text":"Requires that each time a claimant logs in to a Department of Veterans Affairs website or online tool, it displays in plain language a warning about individuals who act in violation of chapter 59 of title 38, with links to report such an individual, to search for recognized representatives, and to final discipline decisions.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr#H8F571B55BADE4D32B42FF8BCA3AE7323:~:text=3.%20Warnings%20to%20claimants%20under%20laws%20administered"}},{"text":"Requires the warning information to be provided in English, Spanish, Tagalog, and the seven other languages most commonly spoken in the United States.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr#H8F571B55BADE4D32B42FF8BCA3AE7323:~:text=3.%20Warnings%20to%20claimants%20under%20laws%20administered"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-02","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1226/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/118-hr-1226.png","v":"6b68e6f819a8","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 1226, 118th Congress: Wounded Warrior Access Act. House: 422 Yea, 0 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Became law, 13 Nov 2023."}}