HR 1741119th CongressIn Committee

Veteran Appeals Transparency Act of 2025

Introduced: Feb 27, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Veteran Appeals Transparency Act of 2025 would require the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) to publicly publish, on a Department of Veterans Affairs website, weekly notices of the docket dates for cases assigned to a Board member for a decision. The notices would clarify that simply because a case is on the docket for a given week does not guarantee a decision will be issued that week. The requirement would not apply to cases that have been advanced under a different subsection or those remanded by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. In short, the bill adds a recurring, public-facing transparency practice intended to show when cases are slated for decision, without guaranteeing outcomes within the week.

Key Points

1What is required: On a weekly basis, publish on the VA website the docket dates for cases assigned to a Board member for a decision during that week.
2Purpose of notice: Each published docket notice must include a statement that being assigned to a docket for that week does not obligate the Board to issue a decision that week.
3Exemptions: The publication requirement does not apply to cases advanced under subsection (b) or cases remanded by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
4Legal basis: Adds a new subsection (f) to Section 7107 of title 38, United States Code.
5Status and scope: Introduced in the House (H.R. 1741) and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs; the text focuses narrowly on docket transparency rather than altering substantive decision standards or timelines.

Impact Areas

Primary group affected: Veterans awaiting Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions and their representatives (e.g., veterans service organizations, attorneys) who rely on docket information to track cases.Secondary group affected: BVA staff and VA IT/communications personnel responsible for publishing the weekly docket notices; the public, including researchers, journalists, and advocacy groups, who monitor BVA activity.Additional impacts: Potential for improved transparency and public accountability around BVA scheduling; may influence expectations and planning for veterans seeking decisions. Could entail modest IT/administrative costs to maintain and update a weekly docket publication workflow and ensure clarity in notices. No explicit penalties or enforcement mechanisms are described in the bill text.

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