HR 7816 United States House · 118th Congress

Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to commission an independent review of its notices sent to veterans applying for benefits. The review, to be completed within 30 days of the bill's enactment, must assess whether notices can be made clearer for claimants while reducing paper use and government costs. The VA must then implement the recommended changes within 90 days and report the findings to Congress. This directly affects veterans receiving VA claims communications by aiming to make those notices more understandable and efficient.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics: Veteran Healthcare Veteran Benefits Veteran Education

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2024

Committee Review

Jul 2024

House Passage

Sep 2024

Senate Passage

President

Introduced Mar 26, 2024 Last action Sep 18, 2024

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 5 edits · Sep 17, 2024

MODERATE

The Engrossed version of HR 7816 adds a stakeholder consultation requirement for the FFRDC assessment, shifts the legal compliance condition from the recommendation phase to the implementation phase (narrowing what must be implemented), sets a one-year deadline for completing implementation, defines a new term 'covered entities' to identify who must be consulted, and adds an entirely new section extending a pension payment limit by one month (from November 30 to December 31, 2031).

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded with the addition of Section 3, which addresses pension payment limits under 38 U.S.C. 5503(d)(7), a topic unrelated to the original focus on improving clarity of VA notices to claimants.

REQUIREMENT

The FFRDC's determination about reducing paper consumption must now be made 'in consultation with covered entities,' adding a mandatory stakeholder input step that was not in the original version.

The requirement to implement recommendations is now limited to only those recommendations 'that are in compliance with the laws administered by the Secretary.' The original version required implementation of all recommendations without this qualifier, effectively giving the Secretary discretion to skip non-compliant ones.

TIMELINE

A new subsection (d) requires the Secretary to complete implementation within one year after commencing it, providing a concrete deadline that was absent from the introduced version.

DEFINITION

A new defined term 'covered entities' is added, encompassing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, an expert in VA-administered laws, a recognized veterans service organization under 38 U.S.C. 5902, and any entity that advocates for veterans.

SCOPE

An entirely new Section 3 extends the deadline in 38 U.S.C. 5503(d)(7) from November 30, 2031 to December 31, 2031, adding a one-month extension to certain pension payment limits that was not present in the introduced version.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Sep 17, 2024

Introduced

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5280)

lower

Sep 17, 2024

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5280)

lower

Sep 17, 2024

Introduced

Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

lower

Jul 8, 2024

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 118-576.

lower

May 1, 2024

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Apr 16, 2024

Lower · Passed

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote.

lower

Apr 16, 2024

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Apr 10, 2024

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Hearings Held

lower

Apr 9, 2024

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

lower

Mar 26, 2024

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

lower

Mar 26, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 10 co-sponsors