HR 1039119th CongressIn Committee

Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act

Introduced: Feb 6, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to partner with a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) to study the notices VA sends to veterans and other claimants who seek benefits. The aim is to determine whether the notices can be redesigned to use less paper and lower federal costs, and to provide recommendations to make the notices clearer, more organized, and more concise. VA would then have up to one year to implement recommendations that comply with VA laws, after submitting the assessment to Congress within 90 days. The bill also extends a pension-related deadline, moving the end date of a specific payment limit from November 30, 2031, to December 31, 2031.

Key Points

1VA must seek to enter into an agreement with an FFRDC within 30 days of enactment to assess the notices sent to claimants.
2The FFRDC’s assessment must determine feasibility of altering notices to reduce paper use and federal costs, and provide recommendations to improve clarity, organization, and conciseness of the notices, in consultation with “covered entities.”
3VA must submit the assessment to the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees within 90 days and implement recommendations that comply with existing VA law, within one year of starting implementation.
4The bill defines an FFRDC and identifies “covered entities” that should be involved in the assessment, including VA, legal experts on VA law, veterans service organizations recognized under law, and organizations advocating for veterans or their survivors.
5Section 3 changes a pension payment deadline, extending the period from November 30, 2031 to December 31, 2031.

Impact Areas

Primary: Veterans and other claimants who receive notices from VA regarding benefits; veterans service organizations and advocates; VA communications processes.Secondary: VA operations and administrative costs, paper usage, and potential savings from streamlined notices; engagement and workload for an outside FFRDC and covered entities.Additional impacts: Potential changes in how notices are drafted and presented may affect processing times, compliance with existing laws, and the overall clarity of information provided to claimants. The extension of the pension deadline may affect beneficiaries and VA budgeting related to pension payments.

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