Pasco Reporter

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), and Mike Bost (R-IL) have introduced the Veterans Claims Quality Improvement Act to address issues in the VA Board of Veterans’ Appeals and ensure timely and accurate decisions for veterans seeking benefits.

Congressman Bilirakis expressed gratitude for his colleagues' leadership on the bill, highlighting its importance in rectifying performance problems within the VA Board of Veterans Appeals. He stated, "I’m grateful for Chairman Luttrell, Chairman Bost and Conference Chair Stefanik’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."

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik emphasized the urgency of delivering results to veterans, saying, "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."

Congressman Luttrell, the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee Chairman, underscored the need for accurate and fair decisions for veterans, stating, “Over the course of several hearings, I’ve heard time and again about the Veterans Affairs Board of Appeals failing to ensure quality decision making on veterans’ claims."

Chairman Bost echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of providing a trustworthy system for veterans, saying, “Veterans and their families have earned legally accurate and fair decisions on their claims for VA benefits. But right now, that’s not always the case... 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."

The bill includes provisions such as identifying errors, improving training programs, authorizing performance evaluations for judges, and developing a plan to decrease unnecessary remands within the VA system.