Bill Overview
Title: Wounded Warrior Access Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain a secure, online tool or website to enable a claimant or their representative to make records requests related to VA claims and benefits. Requests for records must specify in which format the copy is desired. The VA must notify a requester within 10 days that their request has been received and must fulfill the request within 120 days. The bill also requires the VA to ensure that each time a claimant logs in to a website or online tool of the VA, the website or online tool displays in plain language (1) a warning regarding violations of laws related to agents and attorneys, (2) a link to an online tool to report violations, (3) a link to an online tool to search for a VA-recognized agent or attorney, and (4) a link to a website or online tool providing final decisions on discipline of agents and attorneys for violations.
Sponsors: Rep. Aguilar, Pete [D-CA-31]
Target Audience
Population: veterans who make claims or seek benefits from the VA
Estimated Size: 19000000
- The primary population impacted by this bill consists of U.S. military veterans who make claims or seek benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
- The bill focuses on improving access to VA records, suggesting that veterans who interact with the VA for claims and benefit processing will be directly impacted.
- There are approximately 19 million veterans in the United States, and many of them use VA services. Not all veterans will necessarily make use of this online tool, but those who file claims or need records are likely to do so.
- Veterans' representatives, such as families, advocates, or attorneys, who assist in filing claims would also be impacted as they will use the online tool to access necessary records.
- Globally, the impact would be very limited since the VA's operations and the legislation are specific to the United States, unless there are U.S. veterans residing abroad who file claims through the VA.
Reasoning
- The primary objective of the Wounded Warrior Access Act is to simplify and expedite the process for veterans and their representatives to access VA records. The impact will vary widely across individuals based on their previous experiences with the VA, their technological comfort, and the frequency of their claims.
- People living in urban areas with easy access to the internet might benefit more immediately from the online tool, while those in rural areas may face more challenges if internet connectivity is an issue.
- Older veterans or those unfamiliar with technology might experience more difficulties initially but could benefit from improved process efficiency in the long run if appropriate support is provided.
- Individuals or families of veterans who frequently interact with the VA due to ongoing health issues or service-related injuries would likely see a high impact on their ability to manage claims more effectively.
- The budget constraints limit the scale and speed at which these tools can be rolled out and maintained, potentially affecting the breadth of impact in the first few years.
Simulated Interviews
Retired (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 74 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The new online system should make it a lot easier for me to manage my VA records, assuming they keep the website user-friendly.
- I often have to request and send documents, so a streamlined process will be a relief.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
VA Representative (Rural Alabama)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to easier VA documentation processes will enhance my ability to serve the veterans I work with.
- However, I worry about rural veterans without internet access.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Accountant (Chicago, IL)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't use the VA often, so this might not impact me directly right now, but it's good to know the option will be there if needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Lawyer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 46 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This change could help streamline my work significantly, making it easier to focus on the legal aspects of my job.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
IT Specialist (Seattle, WA)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As someone who's tech-savvy, I appreciate improvements in digital tools that save time and hassle.
- Good to know VA is catching up to the times.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Retired (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 82 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't really use computers, but if this helps my kids get the paperwork sorted faster, that'd be nice.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 2 |
Teacher (New York, NY)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything that makes the VA more transparent gets my support. It's been a maze dealing with them so far.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Construction Worker (Houston, TX)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this bill helps with how long it takes to get paperwork done and checked.
- Improved online access would save me a trip to the office.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Retired teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 70 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's a step forward if it eases the load on how often I need to contact customer support for my husband.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
VA Employee (Denver, CO)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Modernizing our tools is essential for us to serve veterans efficiently.
- This could improve our workflow significantly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $40000000)
Year 2: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $35000000)
Year 3: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $35000000)
Year 5: $26000000 (Low: $21000000, High: $36000000)
Year 10: $27000000 (Low: $22000000, High: $37000000)
Year 100: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $40000000)
Key Considerations
- Security and privacy concerns must be managed to protect veterans' data.
- Integration with existing VA systems needs careful planning to avoid information silos.
- Sustained funding and updates are essential to keep the online tool functional and up to date.
- Veterans' accessibility and ease of use must be prioritized to ensure broad adoption.