H.R. 7795 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make disability benefit questionnaires (DBQs) available on the department’s website. DBQs are standardized forms used by physicians when performing examinations that are used to determine veterans’ eligibility for disability compensation. Disability compensation is a monthly cash benefit paid to veterans who have disabilities or diseases that have been determined to be connected to their military service. The bill also would require VA to accept earlier versions of DBQ forms and would require VA’s inspector general to report annually on the use of DBQs until 2027
DBQs were available on the department’s website until April 2020, and the department maintains electronic versions of the forms. Further, VA already accepts previous versions of DBQs when it processes claims for disability compensation. On that basis, CBO estimates that implementing those requirements would cost less than $500,000 over the 2020-2025period. On the basis of the cost of similar reports, CBO estimates satisfying the bill’s reporting requirement would cost less than $500,000. In total, implementing H.R. 7795 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2020-2025 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
