H.R. 1226 (ENR) - Wounded Warrior Access Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1226 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.1226

                     One Hundred Eighteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
         the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-three


                                 An Act


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow for the electronic 
           request of certain records, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Wounded Warrior Access Act''.
SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC REQUEST OF CERTAIN RECORDS MAINTAINED BY THE 
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
    (a) Electronic Record Requests.--Section 5702 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended--
        (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
        (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b)(1) The Secretary shall establish and maintain a secure 
website or online tool for a claimant or a duly recognized agent or 
representative of that claimant to submit an electronic request for 
such records.
    ``(2) The Secretary, upon receipt of a valid request made through 
the website or online tool established under paragraph (1), shall 
provide to the requestor--
        ``(A) not later than 10 days after receipt, confirmation of 
    such receipt; and
        ``(B) not later than 120 days after receipt, such records 
    requested in the form selected by the requestor.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 5702(a) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended--
        (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``in 
    writing'' and inserting ``in writing, including an electronic 
    request submitted through the website or online tool established 
    under subsection (b),'';
        (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
        (3) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
    inserting ``; and''; and
        (4) by adding at the end the following:
        ``(3) the format in which such copy is desired, including 
    whether in printed form or by downloadable file.''.
    (c) Deadline; Establishment of Website or Online Tool.--Not later 
than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish the website or online 
tool required under section 5702(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by this Act, and, to the extent practicable, the Secretary 
shall utilize existing online resources of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs for the purposes of such establishment.
SEC. 3. WARNINGS TO CLAIMANTS UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REGARDING UNRECOGNIZED REPRESENTATIVES.
    (a) In General.--Section 5901 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
        (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``Except'';
        (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Warnings About Potential Predatory Practices.--(1) The 
Secretary shall ensure that, each time a claimant under a law 
administered by the Secretary logs in to a website or online tool of 
the Department, such website or online tool issues to the claimant, in 
plain language--
        ``(A) a warning about individuals who seek to act in violation 
    of this chapter;
        ``(B) a link to an online tool of the Department through which 
    the claimant may report such an individual;
        ``(C) a link to an online tool of the Department through which 
    the claimant may search for a recognized agent, attorney, or other 
    entity recognized by the Secretary for the preparation, 
    presentation, or prosecution of any claim under laws administered 
    by the Secretary; and
        ``(D) a link to a website or an online tool of the Department 
    providing final decisions on discipline of agents, attorneys, and 
    entities, described in subparagraph (C), by the Secretary for 
    violations of this chapter.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall provide all information under paragraph 
(1) in the following languages:
        ``(A) English.
        ``(B) Spanish.
        ``(C) Tagalog.
        ``(D) The seven other languages most commonly spoken in the 
    United States.''.
    (b) Implementation.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry 
out subsection (b) of such section, as added by subsection (a) of this 
section--
        (1) after consulting with stakeholders (including veterans 
    service organizations recognized under section 5902 of such title) 
    regarding the wording of the warning under such subsection; and
        (2) not later than one year after the date of the enactment of 
    this Act.
SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.
    No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
the requirements of this Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.