Promotion of assistance from persons recognized by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for individuals who file certain claims under laws administered by the Secretary

(a) Notice to claimants of available assistance from recognized persons Section 5103A of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as subsections (i) through (k), respectively; (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsections: (g) Notice regarding availability of representation Upon receipt of an initial claim by a claimant not represented by an accredited person, the Secretary shall provide notice to the claimant that— (1) provides the website address of the online tool maintained under subsection (h); and (2) provides the website address of an appropriate and publicly accessible website of the Department through which a claimant may report— (A) a person, who is not an accredited person, who represented the claimant; and (B) any fee charged by such person for such representation. (h) Online list of accredited, suspended, or excluded persons (1) The Secretary shall maintain an online tool that allows a claimant to search a list of accredited persons and persons who are suspended or excluded. (2) The Secretary shall ensure that the list required by paragraph (1) is current at least once each calendar quarter. (3) The Secretary shall ensure that the online tool required by paragraph (1) is easily accessible to a claimant.; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (l) Definitions In this section: (1) The term accredited person means— (A) a veterans service organization recognized under section 5902 of this title; or (B) an individual recognized under section 5904 of this title. (2) The term represent means to prepare, present, or prosecute a claim under a law administered by the Secretary on behalf of a claimant. (3) The term suspended or excluded with respect to a person means the Secretary has suspended or excluded the person from practice before the Department under sections 5904(b) and 5905(b) of this title.. (b) Online information regarding persons that assist claimants (1) In general The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include, in each website portal of the Department of Veterans Affairs through which an individual may file a claim for a benefit administered by the Secretary, a warning regarding fees an agent or attorney may charge such individual for assistance in filing such claim. (2) Contents A warning under paragraph (1) shall include the following: (A) A link to the online tool maintained under subsection (h) of section 5103A of such title, as amended by subsection (a). (B) A link to the website of the Department described in subsection (g)(2) of such section, as amended by subsection (a). (c) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— (1) complete a review of the regulations, processes, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs that pertain to recognition under section 5904 of title 38, United States Code; (2) develop recommendations for legislative or administrative action to improve such regulations, processes, and procedures; and (3) submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report containing the findings of the Secretary with respect to the review completed under paragraph (1) and the recommendations developed under paragraph (2).