The U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs would report on expanding the use of certain automation tools in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) and supported by U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL).
“Veterans shouldn’t be waiting months for their benefits because of outdated technology at the VA, but sadly that’s happening across the country,” Rep. Valadao said. “This common-sense bill ensures the VA has the technology and resources they need to review veterans’ claims in a more timely and efficient manner.”
The Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act, H.R. 8874, which Rep. Valadao proposed on June 27, would require the VA to create a plan and report to Congress on making automation tools available for all Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) offices and the VA Board of Veterans’ Appeals to process benefits claims for survivors and veterans more efficiently, according to a bill summary provided by the congressman’s staff.
Specifically, H.R. 8874 would require the VA to create a plan to make available, to the maximum extent practicable and to all VBA offices and the VA Board of Veterans’ Appeals, automation tools developed for the VA Compensation Service for the purpose of processing veterans’ and survivors’ claims for VA benefits, the summary says.
“In order to ensure that our veterans and their families can access the benefits they have earned, we must keep pushing VA forward in their modernization efforts,” Rep. Bost said. “That’s exactly what my friend and colleague, Rep. Valadao’s bill, the Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act, would do.”
Rep. Bost added that under H.R. 8874, the VA’s plan would detail how all of VBA’s different offices can and should process veterans’ and their survivors’ claims in a more efficient manner.
“In return,” he said, “veterans and their families won’t be stuck waiting months on end for answers on their claims. I look forward to moving Rep. Valadao’s vitally important bill through the legislative process as soon as possible.”