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5. KEY ACTS AND STATUTES

Veterans' Judicial Review Act of 1988 ("VJRA")

Established the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (originally named the "Court of Veterans Appeals") and authorized judicial review of VA benefits decisions for the first time.

Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 ("VCAA")

Eliminated the requirement that a claimant must first submit enough evidence to make his or her claim "well grounded" before VA would process a claim and added the requirement for VA to make "reasonable efforts to assist a claimant in obtaining evidence necessary to substantiate the claimant's claim" which is the "duty to assist."

Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006

For the first time authorized accredited agents and attorneys to charge fees for services after the claimant files a notice of disagreement in a case, rather than after the Board first makes a final decision in the case.

Statutes

38 U.S.C. § 501       "Rules and regulations"

38 U.S.C. § 511       "Decisions of the Secretary; finality"

38 U.S.C. § 1110     "Basic entitlement"

38 U.S.C. § 1111     "Presumption of sound condition"

38 U.S.C. § 1151     "Benefits for persons disabled by treatment or vocational rehabilitation"

38 U.S.C. § 5103     "Notice to claimants of required information and evidence"

38 U.S.C. § 5103A   "Duty to assist claimants"

38 U.S.C. § 5107     "Claimant responsibility; benefit of the doubt"

38 U.S.C. § 5109B   "Expedited treatment of remanded claims"

38 U.S.C. § 5110     "Effective dates"

38 U.S.C. § 5121     "Payment of certain accrued benefits upon death of a beneficiary"

38 U.S.C. § 5121A   "Substitution in case of death of claimant"

38 U.S.C. § 5902     "Recognition of representatives of organizations"

38 U.S.C. § 5904     "Recognition of agents and attorneys"

38 U.S.C. § 7104     "Jurisdiction of the Board"

38 U.S.C. § 7105     "Filing notice of disagreement and appeal"

38 U.S.C. § 7112     "Expedited treatment of remanded claims"

38 U.S.C. § 7252     "Jurisdiction [of the Court]; finality of decisions"

38 U.S.C. § 7261     "Scope of review"

38 U.S.C. § 7266     "Notice of Appeal"