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Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000

Public Law 106-475 · H.R. 4864 · 106th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 9, 2000 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Rep. Robert Stump (R-AZ-3)

Cosponsors (111): Rep. Lane Evans,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take specified steps to assist claimants. Requires the Secretary to: (1) notify a claimant whose application is incomplete of the information necessary to complete the application (existing law), including medical or lay evidence necessary to substantiate the claim and, as part of such notice, to indicate which portion of such evidence is to be provided by the claimant and which portion the Secretary will attempt to obtain on behalf of the claimant; (2) make reasonable efforts to assist in obtaining evidence necessary to substantiate a claimant's eligibility for a benefit (but allows the Secretary to decide a claim without providing such assistance when no reasonable possibility exists that such assistance will aid in the establishment of eligibility) and to obtain relevant records that the claimant adequately identifies to the Secretary and authorizes the Secretary to obtain; and (3) inform the claimant whenever the Secretary is unable to obtain such records.

Requires, in the case of a veteran's claim for disability compensation, the Secretary to: (1) obtain the claimant's service medical records and, if the claimant has furnished sufficient information, other relevant service records, existing records of relevant medical treatment or examination at Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities or at the expense of the Department, and any other relevant records held by a Federal department or agency; and (2) provide a medical examination or obtain a medical opinion when the evidence indicates that the claimant has a current disability, or persistent or recurrent symptoms of disability, which may be associated with active military service, but does not contain sufficient medical evidence for the Secretary to make a decision on the claim.

(Sec. 4) Places on the claimant the burden of proving entitlement to benefits (currently, of submitting evidence to justify a belief by a fair and impartial individual that the claim is well grounded).

(Sec. 5) Requires the Federal department or agency providing information under this Act to bear its costs.

(Sec. 7) Provides for: (1) the applicability of provisions of this Act concerning the burden of proof to claims filed before, or not final as of, the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) the readjudication of claims for benefits that were denied, because the claims were not well grounded, during the period between July 14, 1999, and this Act's enactment date.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Nov 9, 2000Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 106-475.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 1, 2000PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 17, 2000Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Stump moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
  7. Sep 25, 2000FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  8. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  10. Jul 25, 2000FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 414 - 0 (Roll no. 432).House roll call 432
  12. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  13. FloorFloor · Mr. Stump moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  15. Jul 24, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  16. Jul 20, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  17. Jul 18, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Benefits Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Benefits Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Benefits Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  20. Jul 17, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.