Transparency for Wounded Warriors Act

Transparency for Wounded Warriors Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide specified information to a member of the uniformed services regarding a denial for traumatic injury benefits under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to provide the member with (1) the reason for the denial, including a description of all the information upon which the denial is based; and (2) an explanation and citation of the applicable laws, regulations, or policies upon which the denial is based. Any undisclosed reason, information, or explanation is not usable by the VA as a basis to deny a subsequent review or appeal by an individual regarding a denial of a claim for benefits.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8257 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8257

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to provide to a member of the uniformed services who 
  is denied a traumatic injury protection claim under Servicemembers' 
    Group Life Insurance certain information related to that denial.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 15, 2020

Mr. Kildee (for himself and Mr. Bergman) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to provide to a member of the uniformed services who 
  is denied a traumatic injury protection claim under Servicemembers' 
    Group Life Insurance certain information related to that denial.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Transparency for Wounded Warriors 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DENIAL OF CLAIMS FOR TRAUMATIC INJURY PROTECTION UNDER 
              SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP LIFE INSURANCE.

    Section 1980A of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(l) If a claim for benefits under this section is denied, the 
Secretary concerned shall provide to the member at the same time as the 
member is informed of such denial a report describing each reason for 
that denial, including a description of all the information upon which 
the denial is based and a description of the applicable laws, 
regulations, or policies, with appropriate citations, and an 
explanation of how such laws, regulations, or policies affected the 
denial. Any reason, information, or explanation that is not so provided 
may not be used by the Secretary concerned as the basis to deny a 
subsequent review or appeal by the member of a denial of a claim for 
benefits.''.
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