§1175 Authority to Modify Process; Congressional Oversight

Summary

The Secretary can change how the working group from section 1172(b) does assessments, how the Secretary does formal evaluations under section 1173, and how rules are made under section 1174. The change is allowed only if the evaluations include the evidence, data, and factors required by section 1173(b), and 180 days have passed after the Secretary sends the notice about the proposed change under subsection (b). Before making a change, the Secretary must send a notice to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives. The notice must describe the proposed changes and must explain any exceptions being requested because of limited scientific evidence, and how those evaluations would be done.