ACCEPTANCE OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTATION FOR CLAIMS PURPOSES.

SEC. 301. ACCEPTANCE OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTATION FOR CLAIMS PURPOSES. (a) Statements of Claimant To Be Accepted as Proof of Relationships.—Chapter 51 is amended by adding at the end the following new section: “§ 5124. Acceptance of claimant’s statement as proof of relationship “(a) For purposes of benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, the Secretary may accept the written statement of a claimant as proof of the existence of any relationship specified in subsection (b) for the purpose of acting on such individual’s claim for benefits. “(b) Subsection (a) applies to proof of the existence of any of the following relationships between a claimant and another person: 108 STAT. 4658 “(1) Marriage. “(2) Dissolution of a marriage. “(3) Birth of a child. “(4) Death of any family member. “(c) The Secretary may require the submission of documentation in support of the claimant’s statement if— “(1) the claimant does not reside within a State; “(2) the statement on its face raises a question as to its validity; “(3) there is conflicting information of record; or “(4) there is reasonable indication, in the statement or otherwise, of fraud or misrepresentation.”. (b) Reports of Examinations by Private Physicians.—Such chapter, as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by adding at the end the following new section: “§ 5125. Acceptance of reports of private physician examinations “For purposes of establishing any claim for benefits under chapter 11 or 15 of this title, a report of a medical examination administered by a private physician that is provided by a claimant in support of a claim for benefits under that chapter may be accepted without a requirement for confirmation by an examination by a physician employed by the Veterans Health Administration if the report is sufficiently complete to be adequate for the purpose of adjudicating such claim.”. (c) Clerical Amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new items: “5124. Acceptance of claimant's statement as proof of relationship. “5125. Acceptance of reports of private physician examinations.”.