April 29, 2016
Contact: Kyle Roerink
Phone: (202) 657-3219

Las Vegas – Representative Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District introduced H.R. 5083, the “VA Appeals Modernization Act of 2016,” comprehensive legislation designed to reform the broken Department of Veterans’ Affairs appeals process. Currently, veterans wait four years on average to complete the appeals process.

The proposed appeals reform is supported by the American Legion, the DAV, the VFW, IAVA, AMVETS, the VA, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Their joint letter of support can be viewed here.

In the letter, the groups highlight the importance of this legislation: “The key to this new appeals process is providing veterans multiple options to get speedier decisions on their claims.”

“As Ranking Member of the Veteran Affairs Subcommittee overseeing disability benefits, I have been fighting for more than three years to reform the VA’s broken appeals process. I warned a tsunami was coming, but Congress and the VA continued to dawdle. Now it’s time for significant action,” said Representative Titus.

BACKGROUND: The Senate recently introduced legislation that will create a pilot program to test an expedited appeals process. While laudable, current projections show the appeals backlog growing to over 2 million claims within 10 years. The VSOs and the VA recently spent significant time and energy working with Rep. Titus to develop the new system as proposed in H.R.5083, which provides veterans with multiple options to best fit the needs of their specific claim. Veterans will have the opportunity to have their claims reviewed for accuracy, file new evidence, or opt for a complete review by the Board of Veterans Appeals. The new system reduces bureaucratic burdens while preserving the rights of veterans.