Sec. 701. AUTHORITY TO USE APPROPRIATIONS TO ENHANCE CLAIMS PROCESSING CAPACITY AND AUTOMATION
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## SEC. 701 AUTHORITY TO USE APPROPRIATIONS TO ENHANCE CLAIMS PROCESSING CAPACITY AND AUTOMATION ###
(a)Authority **[**[38 U.S.C. 324 note](/us/usc/t38/s324)**]** The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may use, from amounts appropriated to the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund established by section 324 of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 805 of this Act, such amounts as may be necessary to continue the modernization, development, and expansion of capabilities and capacity of information technology systems and infrastructure of the Veterans Benefits Administration, including for claims automation, to support expected increased claims processing for newly eligible veterans pursuant to this Act. ###
(b)Plan for Modernization of Veterans Benefits Administration Information Technology Systems ####
(1)In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the Veterans Benefits Administration. The plan shall cover the first fiscal year that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act and the subsequent four fiscal years and shall include each of the following: #####
(A)An identification of any information system to be modernized or retired, if applicable, during the period covered by the plan. #####
(B)A description of how the Secretary intends to incorporate the following principles into the modernization of such information systems: ######
(i)The purpose of automation should be to increase the speed and accuracy of claims processing decisions. ######
(ii)Automation should be conducted in a manner that enhances the productivity of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. ######
(iii)Automation should be carried out in a manner that achieves greater consistency in the processing and rating of claims by relying on patterns of similar evidence in claim files. ######
(iv)To the greatest extent possible, automation should be carried out by drawing from information in the possession of the Department, other Government agencies, and applicants for benefits. ######
(v)Automation of any claims analysis or determination process should not be end-to-end or lack intermediation. ######
(vi)Employees of the Department should continue to make decisions with respect to the approval of claims and the granting of benefits. ######
(vii)Automation should not be carried out in a manner that reduces or infringes upon the due process rights of applicants for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary; or the duties of the Secretary to assist and notify claimants. ######
(viii)Automation should be carried out while taking all necessary measures to protect the privacy of claimants and their personally identifiable information. ######
(ix)Automation of claims processing should not eliminate or reduce the workforce of the Veterans Benefits Administration. #####
(C)An identification of targets, for each fiscal year, by which the Secretary intends to complete the modernization of each information system or major component or functionality of such system identified under subparagraph (A). #####
(D)Cost estimates for the modernization of each information system identified under paragraph
(A)for each fiscal year covered by the plan and in total. ####
(2)Appropriate congressional committees In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means— #####
(A)the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and #####
(B)the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
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Sec. 701
AUTHORITY TO USE APPROPRIATIONS TO ENHANCE CLAIMS PROCESSING CAPACITY AND AUTOMATION
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