Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S. C. , is renewing her effort to have the Department of Veterans Affairs adopt blockchain-like technology to upgrade what she called the agency’s “outdated” systems. The South Carolina Republican reintroduced the Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act on Thursday, emphasizing in a press release that “we need to bring the federal government into the 21st century. ” The bill would require the VA to conduct a “comprehensive study” on the potential use of distributed ledger technology within the agency to enhance accountability in claims management and improve benefits distribution. According to the bill’s text, the study would examine how blockchains and related technologies could increase the traceability and reliability of veterans’ benefits claims by documenting each step of the process and lowering the risk of fraud during verification. “This legislation paves the way for research into cutting-edge solutions to replace the broken, outdated systems continuing to fail our veterans, ” Mace said in a Thursday statement.

“We owe it to the men and women willing to lay down their lives to use every tool available to improve theirs. ” Distributed ledger technology is increasingly proposed as a method to make government processes more efficient and transparent, particularly when managing large amounts of data. With this technology, every user on the network can access the ledger’s history. Supporters argue that this decentralized system helps prevent fraud and makes data more easily traceable. Mace’s office noted that the VA currently relies on systems that are decades old, causing delays in benefits claims, appointment scheduling, and exposing the agency to cybersecurity vulnerabilities. For years, lawmakers like Mace have pressured the VA to modernize, including with the rollout of its problematic Electronic Health Record system. Mace initially introduced the bill last year, although it did not advance beyond the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on technology modernization. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Mike Bost, R-Ill. , praised the bill, stating that the “VA must be an efficient and innovative organization in order to deliver high quality, advanced healthcare and services to veterans. ” The Digital Chamber, an advocacy group for blockchain technology and digital assets, also endorsed the legislation, according to Mace’s office. “Blockchain technology has the power to meaningfully transform how veterans access their earned benefits by providing greater transparency, security, and efficiency, ” said Cody Carbone, the group’s CEO, in a statement.