Sec. 301 Increased cooperation across Government
Appointment of liaisons—
Department of Defense— The Secretary of Defense shall appoint individuals as follows:
At least one individual to act as a liaison under this section between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
At least one individual for each of the reserve components of the Armed Forces to act as a liaison under this section between the respective component of the Armed Forces and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Social Security Administration— The Commissioner of Social Security shall appoint at least one individual to act as a liaison under this section between the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
National Archives and Records Administration— The Archivist of the United States shall appoint at least one individual to act as a liaison under this section between the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Duties of liaisons— Each individual acting as a liaison under this section shall expedite the timely provision to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of such information as the Secretary requires to process claims submitted to the Secretary for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary.
Procedures—
In general— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, the Commissioner of Social Security, and the Archivist of the United States shall jointly develop and implement procedures to improve the timely provision to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of such information as the Secretary requires to process claims submitted to the Secretary for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary.
Timely provision— The procedures developed and implemented under paragraph (1) shall ensure that the information provided to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is provided to the Secretary not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary requests the information.
Annual reports— Not less frequently than once each year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on—
the requests for information made by the Secretary during the most recent one-year period for information from the Secretary of Defense, the Commissioner of Social Security, and the Archivist of the United States required by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to process claims submitted to the Secretary for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary; and
the timeliness of responses to such requests.