S 1665119th CongressIn Committee

OATH Act of 2025

Introduced: May 7, 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-Connecticut)

Veterans Affairs

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The OATH Act of 2025 would amend title 38 of the U.S. Code to ensure veterans who participated in secrecy oath programs get the full benefits they earned. It creates a formal definition of a “secrecy oath program,” requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify participants and notify them about all benefits and services for which they may be eligible within a set timeframe after they are released from the oath. The bill also directs a targeted outreach for participants in the Edgewood Arsenal secrecy oath program (Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 1948–1975). Additionally, it changes the effective date for disability compensation for these veterans to begin the day after their discharge, rather than later dates that might otherwise apply. The overall aim is to address potential gaps in benefits access and timing for veterans who were bound by secrecy oaths.

Key Points

1Defines “secrecy oath program” as a government program requiring a non-disclosure agreement with penalties for disclosure, including court-martial or criminal punishment.
2Requires VA to notify veterans who participated in secrecy oath programs about all benefits and services for which they may be eligible within 90 days after their release from the oath; VA must also identify participants and issue required information, with a process to notify those who were overlooked.
3Special outreach mandate for Edgewood Arsenal participants (1948–1975): VA must identify these veterans, notify them of eligible benefits/services, and provide required information within a 90-day window after enactment.
4Amends VA notice procedures (Section 6303) to accommodate the new secrecy oath program notice requirements and reorders related subsections accordingly.
5Provides a new rule for disability compensation: the effective date for veterans who participated in secrecy oath programs (including Edgewood Arsenal or other programs) is the day after their discharge or release, potentially accelerating or altering when payments begin.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Veterans who participated in secrecy oath programs (notably Edgewood Arsenal participants) and their eligibility for VA benefits, as well as VA benefits processing and outreach operations.Secondary group/area affected: Family members and survivors of these veterans; VA regional offices and broader veterans health and benefits programs; potential impacts on VA budgeting and workload due to increased outreach and updated notice requirements.Additional impacts:- Privacy and data considerations around identifying participants in secrecy oath programs and sharing information about benefits.- Administrative changes required within VA to implement the notice, identification, and Edgewood-specific provisions.- Potential retroactive or earlier-starting disability payments for covered veterans, depending on individual discharge dates.Disability compensation: monthly tax-free payments to veterans for service-connected disabilities.Edgewood Arsenal program: a historically specific secrecy oath program conducted at Edgewood Arsenal, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, from 1948 to 1975.Effective date: the date from which VA benefits (like disability compensation) start to accrue/are paid. The bill gives an earlier start date for covered veterans.

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