HR3983-119

What This Bill Does

The Veterans Claims Quality Improvement Act focuses on quality control in VA benefits adjudication. Within one year, VA must create policies, procedures, and technology so each Veterans Benefits Administration employee who commits an avoidable deferral on a National Work Queue benefits claim is notified of avoidable deferrals on that same claim. VA, consulting OGC and the Board of Veterans' Appeals Chairman, must study issues where OGC opinions would foster consistent claims decisions and issues raised before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims where OGC had inconsistent opinions in substantially similar matters, then report findings, intended opinions, and timelines to House Veterans Affairs. The Board Chairman must run a decision-quality program measuring decision quality, tracking errors, tracking court-remanded or returned errors, identifying Board members whose decisions were later vacated, ensuring remands are legally necessary, notifying drafting employees when the Court remands a claim, providing court orders and joint remand motions, giving incentives to review them, and correcting errors before final Board decisions when practicable. VA may use technology including artificial intelligence to maintain error data and identify trends. VA must also create Board training on timely and correct adjudication, assess it annually using best practices such as the Kirkpatrick model, report training topics and effectiveness, and submit annual Board reports explaining reasons for each Board remand, separated by older and newer rating-decision cohorts.

Who Benefits and How

Veterans filing benefit claims benefit if avoidable deferrals, Board errors, and unnecessary remands are identified earlier and corrected before final decisions. Veterans appealing VA decisions benefit from Board training and feedback tied to Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims remands. VBA claims employees benefit from specific notice when their avoidable deferrals affect the same claim. Board of Veterans' Appeals members benefit from quality data, training, and court-remand feedback that can improve decision consistency. VA Office of General Counsel benefits from a study identifying legal issues where published opinions would improve consistency.

Who Bears the Burden and How

VA benefits leadership must build deferral-notice technology, conduct the OGC consistency study, and report to Congress. Board drafting employees must review court remand orders and joint motions tied to their decisions. Board quality staff must maintain error data, identify trends, and track vacated decisions by Board member. VA training staff must develop, assess, and report on appeals adjudication training annually. Veterans affairs committees must review new reports on OGC opinions, Board training, and remand reasons.

Key Provisions

• Requires VA to notify VBA employees of avoidable deferrals on National Work Queue claims.
• Requires an OGC consistency study and report on issues needing opinions or inconsistent prior opinions.
• Creates a Board decision-quality program tracking errors, court remands, vacated decisions, and unnecessary remands.
• Authorizes technology including AI to maintain quality data and identify trends.
• Requires notice, court orders, and joint remand motions for Board employees responsible for remanded decisions.
• Creates Board training on timely and correct appeals adjudication with annual effectiveness assessment.
• Requires annual Board reports explaining reasons for remanding claims.