April 5 (legislative day, April 4), 2025
Mr. Banks introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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 notice letters that the Secretary sends to claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Independent assessment of notices that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs sends to claimants
(a) Agreement
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) for an assessment of notices that the Secretary sends to claimants.
(b) Assessment
A federally funded research and development center that enters to an agreement under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary a written assessment of such notices. The assessment shall include the following:
(1)
The determination of the federally funded research and development center, made in consultation with covered entities, whether each such notice may be feasibly altered to reduce paper consumption by, and costs to, the Federal Government.
(2)
The recommendations of the federally funded research and development center regarding how the Secretary may make such notices clearer to claimants, better organized, and more concise.
(c) Report; implementation
Not later than 90 days after the Secretary receives the assessment under subsection (b), the Secretary shall—
(1)
submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a copy of such assessment; and
(2)
commence implementing the recommendations in the assessment that are in compliance with the laws administered by the Secretary.
(d) Deadline for implementation
The Secretary shall complete the implementation required by subsection (c)(2) by not later than one year after the date on which the Secretary commences such implementation.
(e) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Covered entities
The term covered entities includes—
(A)
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
(B)
an expert in laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
(C)
a veterans service organization recognized under section 5902 of title 38, United States Code;
(D)
an entity that advocates for veterans; and
(E)
an entity that advocates for the survivors of veterans.
(2) Claimant and notice
The terms claimant and notice have the meanings given such terms in section 5100 of title 38, United States Code.