[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3455 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 292
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3455
[Report No. 119-340]
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive
study on the use of distributed ledger technology in the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15, 2025
Ms. Mace introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
October 10, 2025
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive
study on the use of distributed ledger technology in the Department of
Veterans Affairs, 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 ``Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger
Innovation Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) veterans deserve efficient, transparent, and secure
access to benefits and services earned through their honorable
service;
(2) distributed ledger technology offers promising
solutions for enhancing data integrity, security, and
transparency; and
(3) exploring innovative technologies such as distributed
ledger technology could significantly improve the allocation of
benefits, management of insurance programs, and maintenance of
records within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS STUDY ON USE OF DISTRIBUTED
LEDGER TECHNOLOGY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a
comprehensive study on the feasibility, potential benefits, and risks
associated with implementing distributed ledger technology to improve
claims adjudication and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse within the
Department's benefits administration systems.
(b) Matters for Examination.--In conducting the study under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall examine how distributed ledger
technology could--
(1) improve the clarity, traceability, and reliability of
veterans' benefits claims by securely recording key steps in
the adjudication process;
(2) reduce the risk of fraudulent and inaccurate claims by
verification processes;
(3) improve accountability in claims handling; and
(4) aid in identifying irregularities in benefits delivery.
(c) Consultation.--In conducting the study under subsection (a),
the Secretary shall consult with--
(1) experts in distributed ledger technology;
(2) representatives of veterans service organizations;
(3) the heads of other Federal agencies with experience
using distributed ledger technology; and
(4) any other stakeholders the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report
on the findings of the study under subsection (a). Such report shall
include each of the following:
(1) The findings of the study regarding the feasibility of
implementing distributed ledger technology in the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(2) A description of potential benefits and risks
associated with the implementation of such technology in the
Department.
(3) Any recommendations of the Secretary regarding pilot
programs or other initiatives that should be implemented to
test the use of distributed ledger technology in specific areas
of Department operations, such as benefits distribution or
insurance claims.
(4) Any legislative or administrative actions required to
implement such technology in the Department.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``distributed ledger'' means a ledger that
is--
(A) is shared across a set of distributed nodes,
which are devices or processes, that participate in a
network and store a complete or partial replica of the
ledger;
(B) is synchronized between the nodes;
(C) has data appended to it by following a
specified consensus mechanism;
(D) publicly accessible or restricted to a subset
of participants; and
(E) may require participants to have authorization
to perform certain actions or require no authorization.
(2) The term ``distributed ledger technology'' means
technology that enables the operation and use of distributed
ledgers.
Union Calendar No. 292
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3455
[Report No. 119-340]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive
study on the use of distributed ledger technology in the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 10, 2025
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed