Capital District Times

Washington, D.C. - A new bill has been introduced by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Congressman Morgan Luttrell, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis aimed at streamlining the claims process for veterans seeking benefits from the Veterans Affairs (VA).

Stefanik expressed her commitment to veterans, stating, “Bringing the concerns of our veterans and service members to the highest levels of government will always be one of my top priorities. I am proud to co-lead Chairman Luttrell’s legislation to ensure our veterans’ claims are processed and results are delivered with the urgency they deserve.”

Luttrell, who co-led the bill, highlighted the need for improved decision-making processes within the VA, saying, “The legislation I introduced this week would ensure that the Veteran Affairs Board of Appeals provides veterans and their families with legally accurate and fair decisions on their claims for VA benefits. I will continue to hold the VA’s feet to the fire and do everything in my power to course correct this ship.”

Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Mike Bost, emphasized the significance of the bill in addressing current issues in the claims process, stating, “My friend and colleague, Rep. Luttrell, has introduced the Veterans Claims Quality Improvement Act, which would make vitally important improvements to the VA appeals process by implementing a robust quality assurance program so that veterans have a system at the VA Board of Veterans’ Appeals that they can trust.”

Congressman Gus Bilirakis also expressed his support for the bill, acknowledging the need to address performance problems in the review of veterans’ benefit claims, “I’m grateful for Chairman Luttrell’s leadership on this important bill that will help address the glaring performance problems routinely made when the VA Board of Veterans Appeals reviews Veterans’ benefit claims.”

The bill aims to improve the VA appeals process by implementing measures such as identifying errors, enhancing training programs, and ensuring accountability through annual performance evaluations for Board judges.

For more information and to read the full text of the bill, visit the official link: https://stefanik.house.gov/2024/4/stefanik-luttrell-bilirakis-introduce-bill-to-streamline-claims-process-for-veterans.