U.S.C. Section 5103, entitled "Notice to claimants of required information and evidence," provides:
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(a) Required information and evidence. — Upon receipt of a complete or substantially complete application, the Secretary shall notify the claimant and the claimant's representative, if any, of any information, and any medical or lay evidence, not previously provided to the Secretary that is necessary to substantiate the claim. As part of that notice, the Secretary shall indicate which portion of that information and evidence, if any is to be provided by the claimant and which portion, if any, the Secretary, in accordance with section 5103A of this title and any other applicable provisions of law, will attempt to obtain on behalf of the claimant.
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(b) Time limitation. — (1) In the case of information or evidence that the claimant is notified under subsection (a) is to be provided by the claimant, if such information or evidence is not received by the Secretary within one year from the date of such notification, no benefit may be paid or furnished by reason of the claimant's application.
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(2) This subsection shall not apply to any application or claim for Government life insurance benefits.
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38 U.S.C. § 5103 (emphasis added). Under 38 U.S.C. § 5103(a), when the VA receives a complete or substantially complete application for benefits, it must notify the claimant of any information, and any medical or lay evidence, not previously provided to the Secretary that is necessary to substantiate the claim. In the case of information or evidence that the VA tells the claimant he or she must provide, § 5103(b)(1) provides that, if such information or evidence is not received by the VA within one year from the date of the notification, no benefit may be paid or furnished by reason of the claimant's application.