Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025
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Would require the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to give hiring priority to candidates with at least three years of legal experience in veterans law when recommending new members of the Board to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend title 38 of the U.S. Code to direct the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to prioritize individuals with three or more years of legal professional experience in areas governed by veterans law when recommending candidates to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Board membership. The experience requirement applies to the Chairman's recommendations, not as a hard eligibility cutoff.
It would not restructure the Board's overall appointment process or alter the Secretary's final authority to appoint members. The bill makes a single targeted addition to an existing subsection of the law, leaving all other membership requirements and procedures in place.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the Board of Veterans' Appeals Chairman to prioritize candidates with three or more years of legal professional experience in areas governed by veterans law when recommending Board members to the Secretary.
Who would be affected
Attorneys and legal professionals with backgrounds in veterans law or related fields who seek appointment to the Board of Veterans' Appeals, the Chairman of the Board who makes recommendations, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs who appoints Board members, and veterans whose appeals would be decided by Board members selected under the new standard.
Why it matters
If enacted, the change would steer the Board's membership toward judges with demonstrated veterans-law experience, which could affect how appeals are evaluated and decided. Veterans who appeal disability or benefits claims to the Board have a stake in the legal expertise of the judges hearing their cases.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends 38 U.S.C. § 7101A (Sec. 2)
Adds a new paragraph requiring the Chairman to give priority to candidates with three or more years of relevant legal experience when recommending Board members.
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 659, the Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025, would not affect the federal budget.
H.R. 659 would require the Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals to prioritize candidates with at least three years of relevant veterans' law experience when recommending new Board members to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. CBO found that while the bill might affect the composition of Board members, it would not change the number of members or their compensation. As a result, CBO estimates no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit. The estimate does not identify any intergovernmental or private-sector mandates.
How implementation would work
The Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals would apply the new priority standard when compiling and forwarding candidate recommendations to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. No rulemaking, grant process, or separate reporting requirement is established by the bill. The single amendment is self-executing upon enactment, requiring the Chairman to weigh at least three years of relevant legal experience when ranking candidates going forward.
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 Chairman of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals to prioritize individuals with three or more years of legal professional experience in relevant legal areas when recommending individuals to the Department of Veterans Affairs to serve as members of the Board.
Legislative subjects
Administrative remedies; Armed Forces and National Security; Lawyers and legal services; Veterans' pensions and compensation
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-309