Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025
This bill, the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025, would create a new, standing advisory committee within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) focused on accessibility for people with disabilities. The Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access would regularly advise the VA Secretary on making the department’s information, services, benefits, and facilities more accessible, and on ensuring compliance with federal accessibility laws. The committee would produce biennial (every two years) reports to Congress detailing access barriers, progress, and recommendations, and the Secretary would publicly post these reports. The bill also includes a mechanism to eliminate or consolidate inactive existing advisory committees before establishing the new one. Separately, the bill extends a specific pension-related deadline for veterans admitted to nursing facilities to January 31, 2032. In short, the bill structures a formal, multi-stakeholder advisory group to oversee and improve VA accessibility for veterans and the public, with regular reporting and statutory alignment to federal accessibility laws.
Key Points
- 1Establishes the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, a 15-member voting body plus 4 ex officio members, to advise on VA accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
- 2Composition includes: 4 veterans with disabilities, 4 experts in relevant accessibility issues or law, 2 VA employees (one from the Section 508 Office and one from the Architectural Accessibility Program), and 5 representatives from veterans service organizations that advocate for veterans with disabilities; ex officio members include top VA leadership and the chair of the Access Board.
- 3Duties include regular consultation on improving accessibility of VA information, services and benefits, facilities, and procurement to ensure accessibility of information technology and communications; and ensuring compliance with ADA, Rehabilitation Act sections 501/504/508, Plain Writing Act, 21st Century Digital Experience Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act.
- 4Requires biennial reports to the Secretary and Congress detailing access barriers, department compliance, improvement recommendations, and any legislative or administrative actions; reports must be published publicly on VA’s website.
- 5Term limits and appointments: members serve two-year terms (renewable), vacancies filled within 180 days, and the committee terminates seven years after enactment.
- 6Implementation and non-duplication clause: before establishing the new committee, the VA must abolish or consolidate inactive advisory committees or propose their abolition to the relevant congressional committees.
- 7Separate provision extends a pension payment deadline for veterans admitted to nursing facilities from November 30, 2031 to January 31, 2032.