{"format":1,"id":"118-hr-1530","congress":118,"number":"H.R. 1530","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the requirement to publish disability benefit questionnaire forms of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the requirement to publish disability benefit questionnaire forms of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Veterans Benefits Improvement Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2023-03-10","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2023-09-20","vote":{"id":"118-2023-h401","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Veterans Benefits Improvement Act","result":"Passed","yea":423,"nay":0,"present":0,"not_voting":10,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2023/roll401.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate.","date":"2023-09-21"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2023-09-20","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill addresses certain requirements related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical disability examinations for purposes of benefit claims and other administrative matters related to the benefit claims processes and personnel."},{"k":"p","t":"First, the bill updates procedures related to the publishing of VA disability benefit questionnaire forms. Specifically, the VA does not have to publish certain forms if it determines the form could not reasonably be completed to a clinically acceptable standard by someone who is not an employee or contractor of the VA."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill also requires the VA to report on its efforts to provide reimbursement for a veteran's travel to a facility, regardless of whether the facility is inside or outside of the United States, when such travel is incident to a medical disability examination for purposes of VA benefits."},{"k":"p","t":"The VA must also include certain elements in contracts it enters with non-VA providers to provide medical disability examinations. Specifically, the contracts must require that every communication from the provider to the applicant regarding the scheduling of a medical disability examination must be transmitted to any person or organization that is legally designated by the applicant and is recognized for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims."},{"k":"p","t":"Additionally, the VA must partner with veterans service organizations and other stakeholders (as determined by the VA) to implement an outreach program for veterans regarding (1) contact information for non-VA providers that are providing medical disability examinations, and (2) the requirement for veterans to provide personally identifiable information when contacted by such providers to verify their identity."},{"k":"p","t":"The VA must report on improving its support of governmental veterans service officers."},{"k":"p","t":"The VA must establish a Board of Veterans' Appeals internship program for individuals enrolled in the first or second year of law school."},{"k":"p","t":"The VA must also implement a program to furnish student loan repayment benefits or reimbursements for courses, bar exams, or bar membership dues to certain attorneys who agree to work for the VA for at least 3 years."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill increases the maximum possible number of judges presiding over the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to nine judges."},{"k":"p","t":"Finally, the VA must report on improving access to telehearings for Board of Veterans' Appeals hearings."}],"words":375},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Changes Department of Veterans Affairs requirements for disability benefit questionnaire forms, medical disability examinations by contractors, and claims-related personnel and appeals matters, including Board of Veterans' Appeals programs and the size of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H35735B06ED4F4EC999F9B3D895946512"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H7171CE01C21446CCA650B53B1EDC26E2"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#HE0435095A3484F90BD5F404D4623BFED"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#HDC8CEBE2F53449F2B8A67D3DA16EB889"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H09DF694072054C918DF521CF3B3118F6"},{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H3BA70AF1D7034BD8974D9345C8699135"},{"label":"Sec. 8","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#HAEAA9A2B6CD847D5A56C7EEB0F59E9A9"}]},"core_areas":["Publication of disability benefit questionnaire forms","Contractor-provided medical disability examinations","Support for governmental veterans service officers","Board of Veterans' Appeals internship and attorney programs","Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims judgeships","Board of Veterans' Appeals telehearings"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Amends section 5101 of title 38 to add disability benefit questionnaire forms available to Veterans Health Administration personnel and covered non-Department providers to the forms published, and lets the Secretary exclude a form that could not reasonably be completed to a clinically acceptable standard by someone who is not a Department employee or contractor.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H35735B06ED4F4EC999F9B3D895946512"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to list each excluded form on the same website as the published forms, with a justification for the exclusion of each.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H35735B06ED4F4EC999F9B3D895946512"}},{"text":"Requires contracts entered into after enactment with non-Department providers of medical disability examinations to require that every provider communication to an applicant about scheduling be contemporaneously transmitted to the person or organization designated by power of attorney and recognized for preparing, presenting and prosecuting claims.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H7171CE01C21446CCA650B53B1EDC26E2"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary, within 120 days of enactment, to implement an outreach program with veterans service organizations giving veterans contact information for non-Department examination providers and notice of the requirement to provide personally identifiable information to verify identity.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H7171CE01C21446CCA650B53B1EDC26E2"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to establish a competitive Board of Veterans' Appeals internship program for individuals in the first or second year of American Bar Association-accredited law schools, within one year of enactment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#HDC8CEBE2F53449F2B8A67D3DA16EB889"}},{"text":"Amends section 7253(a) of title 38 to change the maximum number of judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims from seven to nine.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H3BA70AF1D7034BD8974D9345C8699135"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"off_subject","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh#H09DF694072054C918DF521CF3B3118F6"},"heading":"Benefits for participants in certain programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs","effect":"Requires a program within one year giving student loan repayment and reimbursement of bar-related costs to attorneys in two named programs, one of which is in the Office of General Counsel rather than the Board of Veterans' Appeals, with a three-year service agreement and professional development assignments.","amount":null,"quote":"the Honors Attorney Program (or successor program) of the Office of General Counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs"}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2023-09-20","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text/eh"},"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/1530","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1530/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/118-hr-1530.png","v":"dbab12a127b4","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 1530, 118th Congress: Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023. House: 423 Yea, 0 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 20 Sep 2023."}}