Metro East Sun

Rep. Morgan Luttrell, the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, addressed a legislative hearing to discuss proposed legislation aimed at improving the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) appeals process. The hearing focused on 12 bills intended to benefit veterans, caregivers, and their families.

The proposed legislation seeks to ensure timely and fair decisions on VA benefits claims, build upon the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, provide necessary resources for VA employees, facilitate disability compensation exams for rural veterans, expand survivors' benefits, and track information regarding disabled veterans who have died by suicide.

Rep. Luttrell expressed pride in having one of his bills included in the agenda. H.R. 3983, known as the Veterans Claims Quality Improvement Act of 2025, aims to improve accuracy in decisions related to VA benefits claims and appeals. The bill addresses concerns about the quality ratings reported by the VA Board of Veterans Appeals, which have been criticized for not fully accounting for legal errors identified by the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals.

The Court reported that in 2024, 83% of Board appeals were returned due to legal errors. Rep. Luttrell's bill proposes a training and tracking program for Board judges and attorneys to learn from these mistakes.

Additionally, Rep. Luttrell highlighted issues with unnecessary remands by the Board back to the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), which can significantly delay final decisions on claims. His bill would require annual performance reviews for Board judges and hold VBA claims processors accountable for avoidable deferrals.

"The VA has a hard job," said Rep. Luttrell, "but veterans deserve a claims and appeals process that puts them first."

He emphasized collaboration with Chairman Bost and Ranking Member McGarvey to ensure an effective process for all involved parties.