Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025
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Would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a new 19-member advisory committee — the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access — to advise on improving physical, digital, and programmatic accessibility for veterans and others with disabilities who use VA services.
The committee would assess access barriers, monitor compliance with federal disability laws, and submit biennial reports to Congress, giving veterans with disabilities a formal voice in how the VA addresses accessibility gaps.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would direct the VA Secretary to create the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, composed of 15 voting members — including veterans with disabilities, disability-law experts, VA employees from accessibility offices, and veterans service organization representatives — plus four ex officio members. The committee would advise the Secretary on improving accessibility of VA information, services, benefits, facilities, and procurement, and on compliance with federal disability laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act. It would issue reports to the Secretary every two years, and the Secretary would be required to forward those reports to Congress within 90 days.
Before establishing the committee, the VA must — within 180 days of enactment — abolish or consolidate at least one inactive advisory committee it controls, or recommend to Congress abolition of an inactive congressionally-established committee. The bill also makes a minor technical date change extending a deadline in existing law governing pension payments to veterans residing in nursing facilities. The new advisory committee would automatically terminate seven years after enactment.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the VA Secretary to establish the 15-member Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, with members drawn from disabled veterans, disability-law experts, VA accessibility staff, and veterans service organizations.
- 2Would direct the committee to advise the Secretary on improving accessibility of VA information, services, benefits, facilities, and acquisitions, and on compliance with federal disability laws.
- 3Would require the committee to submit biennial reports to the Secretary identifying access barriers, assessing VA compliance, and recommending improvements; the Secretary must transmit reports to Congress within 90 days.
- 4Before establishing the new committee, would require the VA to abolish or consolidate at least one inactive advisory committee, or recommend congressional abolition of a congressionally-established inactive one, within 180 days.
- 5Would extend a deadline in existing law governing pension payment limitations for veterans admitted to nursing facilities from November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2032.
- 6Would terminate the Advisory Committee on Equal Access seven years after enactment.
Who would be affected
Veterans with mobility, hearing, visual, mental, or cognitive disabilities who use VA facilities, benefits, or services; veterans service organizations that advocate for disabled veterans; VA employees in accessibility offices; and health care providers participating in the VA's community care program who would be subject to accessibility assessments.
Why it matters
If enacted, veterans with disabilities would gain a standing federal advisory body specifically tasked with identifying and reporting on access barriers at the VA. The mandatory biennial reports and 90-day congressional transmission requirement create a formal accountability loop that does not currently exist for VA disability accessibility. The precondition requiring abolition or consolidation of inactive VA advisory committees is designed to limit advisory-committee proliferation.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Title 38, United States Code, chapter 5, subchapter III (Sec. 2)
Adds new section 549 establishing the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access and defining its membership, duties, and reporting requirements.
Amends 38 U.S.C. § 5503(d)(7) (Sec. 3)
Extends the applicable deadline from November 30, 2031, to January 31, 2032, for limitations on pension payments to veterans in nursing facilities.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- VA must abolish or consolidate an inactive advisory committee before establishing the new committee
- Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access terminates
How implementation would work
Within 180 days of enactment, the VA Secretary must abolish or consolidate an inactive, non-congressionally-established advisory committee — or recommend to Congress the abolition of an inactive congressionally-established one — before standing up the new committee. The Secretary then appoints 15 voting members to staggered two-year terms and must fill vacancies within 180 days. The committee meets at least twice yearly, may form subcommittees, and must achieve a majority quorum. Every two years it submits an accessibility report to the Secretary, who must forward it with comments to the relevant House and Senate committees within 90 days and post it publicly on the VA website.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Official CRS summary
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This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access to address the accessibility of the VA for individuals with disabilities. Prior to establishing the advisory committee, the VA must take action to abolish or consolidate advisory committees that are currently inactive.
The bill also extends certain loan fee rates through June 23, 2034, under the VA's home loan program.
Legislative subjects
Advisory bodies; Armed Forces and National Security; Congressional oversight; Department of Veterans Affairs; Disability and health-based discrimination; Disability assistance; Executive agency funding and structure; Government information and archives; Government lending and loan guarantees; Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs