Veterans Administration Backlog Accountability Act of 2025
The Veterans Administration Backlog Accountability Act of 2025 would require the VA Inspector General (IG) to deliver a congressional report within 180 days detailing the backlog of disability compensation claims under 38 U.S.C. chapter 11 that are pending before the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) or the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA). The report must assess the backlog’s current status, evaluate how the VA Secretary is addressing it (including staff recruitment using authorities or funds provided by the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022), analyze the impact of any VA staffing reductions since January 20, 2025, examine how the backlog affects average claim adjudication times, address anticipated changes from a projected 50% increase in claims due to the PACT Act, summarize the role of new technologies (e.g., automated decision support) in reducing backlog, and provide IG recommendations to further reduce the backlog. The bill is a reporting and oversight measure, not a funding or entitlement expansion, and could influence subsequent policy or management actions based on the IG’s findings.
Key Points
- 1Requires the VA Inspector General to submit a report to Congress within 180 days of enactment on the disability compensation backlog (VBA and BVA).
- 2The report must describe the backlog’s current status and how the Secretary is addressing it, including staffing actions funded or authorized by the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022.
- 3The report must assess the impact of any VA staffing reductions since January 20, 2025 on the backlog.
- 4The report must analyze how the backlog affects the average wait time for adjudicating disability compensation claims.
- 5The report must review preparations to handle a predicted 50% increase in claims due to the PACT Act, and evaluate the role of new technologies (e.g., automated decision support) in reducing backlog, ending with IG recommendations to further reduce backlog.