{"format":1,"id":"119-hr-1286","congress":119,"number":"H.R. 1286","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center for an assessment of forms that the Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center for an assessment of forms that the Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Official Title from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text","title":"To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center for an assessment of forms that the Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2025-02-13","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2025-05-19","vote":{"id":"119-2025-h133","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended","title":"Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act","result":"Passed","yea":386,"nay":1,"present":0,"not_voting":45,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2025/roll133.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"pending","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"not_yet","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.","date":"2025-05-20"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2025-02-13","stage":"Introduced in House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to seek to enter an agreement with a federally funded research and development center to assess the forms that the VA sends to claimants. The center must submit a written assessment to the VA that includes recommendations on how the VA may make the forms clearer and more organized."},{"k":"p","t":"The VA must implement certain recommendations in the assessment within two years after the assessment is received."}],"words":81},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek an agreement with a federally funded research and development center to assess the forms sent to benefit claimants, and to implement the resulting recommendations that comply with the laws the Secretary administers.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286/text/eh#H96F9091FA0724B0D907A1289EE1C75EC"}]},"core_areas":["Assessment of Department of Veterans Affairs claim forms","Implementation of form recommendations","Limits on pension payments under title 38"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, within 30 days after enactment, to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center for an assessment of forms the Secretary sends to claimants.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286/text/eh#H96F9091FA0724B0D907A1289EE1C75EC"}},{"text":"Requires a center that enters the agreement to submit a written assessment, made in consultation with covered entities, that includes recommendations on how the Secretary may make the forms clearer to claimants and better organized.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286/text/eh#H96F9091FA0724B0D907A1289EE1C75EC"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary, within 90 days after receiving the assessment, to submit a copy to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286/text/eh#H96F9091FA0724B0D907A1289EE1C75EC"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to implement the recommendations in the assessment that comply with the laws administered by the Secretary, finishing within two years after the Secretary begins implementation.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286/text/eh#H96F9091FA0724B0D907A1289EE1C75EC"}},{"text":"Changes a date in section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, from November 30, 2031 to December 31, 2031.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286/text/eh#H76CFC8DA846147208F376EEA6C4A2282"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2025-05-19","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-09-29","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1286/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/119-hr-1286.png","v":"5e4862ecf3bc","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 1286, 119th Congress: Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act. House: 386 Yea, 1 Nay. Senate: not yet considered. Outcome: Passed House, 19 May 2025."}}