United States · Bill · S
S. 1203 (114th)
21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery and Other Improvements Act
Introduced
6 May 2015
Last action
3 December 2015 · Referred
Status
Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Sponsors
Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV], Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA], Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS], Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV], Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA], Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM], Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA], Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT], Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME], Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS], Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Subjects
Defence
Source updated
4 March 2026
Summary
21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act Revises or adds requirements for the submission of veterans' claims for benefits administered through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including by: modifying the Transition Assistance Program to enable online participation; requiring claim decisions to explain the benefits of filing claim appeals within 180 days; and requiring hearings before the Board of Veterans' Appeals to be conducted, as the Board considers appropriate or upon appellant request, in person or through picture and voice transmission by electronic or other means. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense (DOD) should establish a process by which a veterans service organization representative may be present at any portion of the program relating to the submittal of VA claims for: (1) compensation for service-connected disability or death, or (2) dependecy or indemnity compensation for service-connected death. Revises or adds requirements for the practices of VA regional offices, including by requiring: the Government Accountability Office to complete an audit of Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) regional offices, management training for veterans service center managers, VA to ensure that systemic operations evaluations include an analysis of communications between regional offices and veterans service organizations and congressional caseworkers, extension of the authority for the performance of medical disability examinations by contract physicians, the VA Inspector General to conduct a review of the practices of regional offices regarding the use of suspense dates during the disability claim assessment process, VA to submit semiannual reports on progress in implementing the Veterans Benefits Management System, VA to submit an annual report on VBA capacity to process benefits claims, VA to report on plans to reduce the inventory of claims for dependency and indemnity compensation and pension claims, VA to include in each Monday Morning Workload Report the number of claims for benefits that have been received by a regional office and that are pending a decision, and VA reports entitled "Appeals Pending" and "Appeals Workload By Station" to be made available to the public on a VA website. Requires DOD, the Social Security Administration, and the National Archives and Records Administration to appoint liaisons with VA to expedite the provision of information required to process VA benefits claims. Requires DOD and VA to jointly submit a report that sets forth a time line with milestones for achieving interoperability between DOD's and VA's electronic health records systems.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
6 May 2015
Introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Source: IntroReferral
6 May 2015
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
13 May 2015
Committee
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-182.
Source: Committee
22 July 2015
Reported
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Source: Committee
19 October 2015
Calendars
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 267.
Source: Calendars
19 October 2015
Reported
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Isakson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 114-153.
Source: Committee
19 October 2015
Reported
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Isakson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 114-153.
Source: Committee
10 November 2015
Floor
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S7939-7954)
Source: Floor
10 November 2015
Passed
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
Source: Floor
12 November 2015
Floor
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Source: Floor
16 November 2015
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Education and the Workforce, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Source: IntroReferral
16 November 2015
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Education and the Workforce, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Source: IntroReferral
16 November 2015
Floor
Received in the House.
Source: Floor
23 November 2015
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Source: Committee
3 December 2015
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
Source: Committee
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Referred in House · 16 November 2015 · Download file
- Engrossed in Senate · 10 November 2015 · Download file
- Reported to Senate · 19 October 2015 · Download file
- Introduced in Senate · 6 May 2015 · Download file
Documents
11 official files
Referred in House (text)
This file cannot be previewed here. Use View or Download.
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Referred in House (text)
Referred in House · EN · 16 November 2015
Referred in House (PDF)
Referred in House · EN · 16 November 2015
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Engrossed in Senate (text)
Engrossed in Senate · EN · 10 November 2015
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Engrossed in Senate (PDF)
Engrossed in Senate · EN · 10 November 2015
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 10 November 2015
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Reported to Senate (text)
Reported to Senate · EN · 19 October 2015
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Reported to Senate (PDF)
Reported to Senate · EN · 19 October 2015
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Reported to Senate with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 19 October 2015
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Introduced in Senate (text)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 6 May 2015
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Introduced in Senate (PDF)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 6 May 2015
ViewDownloadOpen at official source
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 6 May 2015
Leesvertaling
Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Sponsors
- Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Cochran, Thad [R-MS] · R · Cosponsor
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] · D · Cosponsor
- · hsvr00 · Standing
- · hsas00 · Standing
- · hsbu00 · Standing
- · hsed00 · Standing
- · ssva00 · Standing
Related records
- related to → Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act
- related to → Dignified Interment of Our Veterans Act of 2015
- related to → Dignified Interment of Our Veterans Act of 2015
- amends ← To improve the bill.
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1203
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/114/s/1203
- us · 114-s-1203 · source updated 4 March 2026