APPOINTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AS CLAIMANTS’ REPRESENTATIVES.

SEC. 508. APPOINTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AS CLAIMANTS’ REPRESENTATIVES. (a) Power of Attorney Naming a Veterans Service Organization.— Section 5902 is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c): “(c) (1) Unless a claimant specifically indicates in a power of attorney filed with the Department a desire to appoint only a recognized representative of an organization listed in or approved under subsection (a), the Secretary may, for any purpose, treat the power of attorney naming such an organization, a specific office of such an organization, or a recognized representative of such an organization as the claimant’s representative as an appointment of the entire organization as the claimant’s representative. “(2) Whenever the Secretary is required or permitted to notify a claimant’s representative, and the claimant has named in a power of attorney an organization listed in or approved under subsection (a), a specific office of such an organization, or a recognized representative of such an organization without specifically indicating a desire to appoint only a recognized representative of the organiza 110 STAT. 3344 tion, the Secretary shall notify the organization at the address designated by the organization for the purpose of receiving the notification concerned. ”. (b) Applicability.— The amendments made by this section apply to any power of attorney filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs, regardless of the date of its execution.