Sec. 504. Department of Veterans Affairs notice relating to debt collection activities
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The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall collaborate with veterans service organizations to develop a standard format for any letter provided to an individual who the Secretary determines is indebted to the United States by virtue of such individual's participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary. Such letter shall be written in plain language and shall include a notice of the debt and a clear explanation of— why the individual is indebted to the United States by virtue of such person's participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary; and the options available to the individual.
The Secretary shall develop a method by which individuals may elect to receive notice of debt by electronic means and shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that the letter developed under subsection
(a)is delivered— by both standard mail and by electronic means to intended recipients who have made such an election; and only by standard mail to intended recipients who have not made such an election. Upon completion of the development of the standard letter format required under subsection
(a)and upon completion of development of the method by which individuals may elect to receive notice of debt by electronic means under subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to Congress notice of the completion of the respective development. If the Secretary has not submitted each notice required by paragraph
(1)by the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— submit to Congress a report describing the progress of the Secretary toward implementing subsections
(a)and
(b)and an explanation for why the respective development has not been completed; and every 30 days thereafter until all of the notices required by paragraph
(1)have been submitted, submit to Congress an update to the report under subparagraph
(A)that includes an additional explanation for the failure to complete the respective development. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall conduct a study on the process by which individuals who are indebted to the United States by virtue of their participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs are notified of debt collection efforts relating to such indebtedness. The study required by paragraph
(1)shall include the following: An analysis of the scope of the problem of individuals who are indebted to the United States by virtue of their participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs not receiving debt collection notices relating to such indebtedness. Identification of administrative actions the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of the Treasury can carry out to reduce the number of incorrect or unknown addresses of such individuals in the databases of the Department Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Treasury and a timeline for carrying out such actions. An estimate of the costs associated with sending debt collection notices to such individuals by certified mail. An analysis of whether, or to what extent, sending debt collection notices to such individuals by certified mail would address the problem analyzed under subparagraph (A). An analysis of the requirements and resources that would be necessary for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a method for the Secretary to display in one consolidated document the details regarding all of the debts of an individual to the United States by virtue of such individual’s participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary. An analysis of the extent to which such individuals are so indebted by reason of actions by the Secretary or by actions of the individual, including any trends relating to whether the actions of the individual may be by reason of error, misrepresentation, or fraud. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of the Secretaries with respect to the study conducted under paragraph (1).