H.R. 3455

119 HR 3455 IH: Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-05-15
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 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 3455  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   May 15, 2025   Ms. Mace  introduced the following bill; which was
        referred to the  Committee on Veterans’
  Affairs    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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act of 2025  .
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.
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.