Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Backlog Reduction Act of 2003

Key: what the circles and colors mean

Each circle is a bill. The ring fills as it moves through Congress:

IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

Under the number: the Yea · Nay count of its final (or latest) recorded vote. On a member's page, the small badge is how that member voted: Y Yea / Aye, N Nay / No, P Present, – Not voting.

Gold and violet are only for Yea and Nay; they never mean a party. A member's party is the letter on their photo.

Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 108th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

D EdwardsSponsor

1 cosponsor · 1 D

D Breaux

0 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Jun 4, 2003

Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Backlog Reduction Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) identify the current backlog of veterans' claims for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs and to categorize those claims; and (2) identify claims that need further development and refer them to a geographically appropriate County Veterans Service Office. Allows veterans' claims to be submitted to County Veterans Service Officers (in lieu of the Department) and authorizes the Officers to fully develop such claims. Requires appropriate information sharing between the Department's Benefits Delivery Network and the Offices.

Requires funding provided by this Act to be allocated to States based on their respective populations of veterans and allocates such funds to the appropriate Office. Prohibits Federal funding from exceeding 50 percent of the costs of Office operations. Allows funding to be used to establish Officer programs in States that do not have one.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Backlog Reduction Act of 2003

Latest action (Jun 4, 2003): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jun 4, 2003

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.