US Sherrod Brown bipartisan bill to improve veterans' appeals process passed by Senate

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, announced Senate passage of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, legislation Brown co-sponsored to help speed up the appeals process for veterans seeking assistance from the Veterans Administration.

The bill will now go to the House for approval and then to President Trump to be signed into law.

While the current appeal process includes several levels of hearings and appeals, Brown’s bill would:

• Create three options for veterans to pursue when appealing a VA decision: seeking a higher-level review, submitting additional evidence, or appealing directly to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

• Require the Government Accountability Office to review the VA’s plan to address pending appeals.

• Require the VA to report performance outcomes on their efforts to address veteran appeals.