38 U.S.C. § 5104
Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov ↗
- (a)In the case of a decision by the Secretary under section 511 of this title affecting the provision of benefits to a claimant, the Secretary shall, on a timely basis, provide to the claimant (and to the claimant’s representative) notice of such decision. The notice shall include an explanation of the procedure for obtaining review of the decision.
- (b)Each notice provided under subsection (a) shall also include all of the following:
- (1)Identification of the issues adjudicated.
- (2)A summary of the evidence considered by the Secretary.
- (3)A summary of the applicable laws and regulations.
- (4)Identification of findings favorable to the claimant.
- (5)In the case of a denial, identification of elements not satisfied leading to the denial.
- (6)An explanation of how to obtain or access evidence used in making the decision.
- (7)If applicable, identification of the criteria that must be satisfied to grant service connection or the next higher level of compensation.
- (c)The Secretary may provide notice under subsection (a) electronically if a claimant (or the claimant’s representative) elects to receive such notice electronically. A claimant (or the claimant’s representative) may revoke such an election at any time, by means prescribed by the Secretary.
- (d)The Secretary shall annually—