HR 1793119th CongressIn Committee

Veterans Readiness and Employment Transparency Act of 2025

Introduced: Mar 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Veterans Readiness and Employment Transparency Act of 2025 would strengthen outreach and transparency around the Department of Veterans Affairs’ vocational rehabilitation and employment programs for veterans with service-connected disabilities. The bill requires VA to establish a dedicated contact line for VR&E services, publish specific outreach contacts at regional offices, and implement a formal outreach regime within Chapter 31. Key elements include monthly question-and-answer sessions for staff, in-person (or virtual) informational briefings at educational institutions within VA regional geographic areas, and a new annual reporting requirement on extensions of vocational rehabilitation timelines. It also mandates faster, 30-day decisions on extensions to VR&E entitlements. Overall, the bill aims to improve access to VR&E services and provide clearer accountability and information about program extensions.

Key Points

1Establish a dedicated VR&E contact line and regionally published contacts: VA must create a special phone number in the Education Call Center and publish regional office names, phone numbers, and email addresses for veterans seeking VR&E services.
2Monthly Q&A sessions for staff: All VA employees who counsel and aid veterans under Chapter 31 must participate in monthly question-and-answer sessions with appropriate school certifying officials.
3In-person (or virtual) informational briefings at educational institutions: VR&E counselors must provide in-person briefings at educational institutions in the geographic area served; virtual briefings are allowed if the institution is more than 150 miles from the regional office headquarters.
4Annual reporting on extensions to vocational rehabilitation: The VA must annually report, starting one year after enactment, on how many veterans requested extensions under 3105(c), how many were approved, and how many were rejected.
5Faster extension decisions: The bill requires that extensions requested under 3105(c) be approved or rejected within 30 days of submission.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Veterans with service-connected disabilities who participate in the VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program (Chapter 31)—benefits include training and education to improve readiness and employment.Secondary group/area affected: VA staff assigned to counseling and delivering VR&E services, as well as educational institutions and school certifying officials within VA regions.Additional impacts: Increased transparency and accountability through published contact information and annual extension reporting; potential administrative and logistical requirements for VA offices to conduct regular outreach activities and maintain updated contact channels. The proposal may necessitate modest budget or staffing adjustments to support the outreach sessions, briefings, and data collection for annual reports.

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