VR&E Accountability Act

The VR&E Accountability Act would amend 38 U.S.C. § 3105(c) to impose a hard time limit on extending a veteran’s participation in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program. Specifically, extensions beyond a total period of 96 months could only occur after the VA Secretary determines extraordinary circumstances in the veteran’s case and provides written notice to the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees detailing the extension and the extraordinary circumstances. The bill also restructures the subsection’s numbering to reflect this new rule. The aim is to increase accountability and transparency in how long a veteran can stay in VR&E by requiring justification and congressional notification for extended periods. In short, extensions beyond 96 months are not allowed by default and may proceed only with a formal finding of extraordinary circumstances and public Congressional notice, thereby creating an oversight mechanism for VR&E extensions.