Representing our Seniors at VA Act of 2026
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The bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to add at least one individual who has served veterans in a state veterans home and one licensed nursing home administrator to its Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend section 7315 of title 38, United States Code, to expand the required membership of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee. It would add at least one individual who has served veterans or families of veterans in a state veterans home and at least one individual who holds a professional license in nursing home administration, alongside the existing required national veterans service organization representative.
The bill makes only this membership change; it does not alter the committee's duties, funding, or authority, and does not otherwise change how the Department of Veterans Affairs operates its geriatric and long-term care programs.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the advisory committee to include at least one individual who has served veterans or their families in a state veterans home
- 2Would require the advisory committee to include at least one individual holding a professional license in nursing home administration
- 3Would reorganize the statute's membership sentences into separate numbered paragraphs
Who would be affected
The Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee within the Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and organizations such as the National Association of State Veterans Homes whose representatives could newly serve on the committee.
Why it matters
Adding members with direct state veterans home and nursing home administration experience could give the advisory committee more practical input on long-term and nursing home care for aging veterans, potentially shaping the recommendations it provides to the Department of Veterans Affairs on geriatric care policy.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends 38 U.S.C. § 7315 (Sec. 2)
Adds required committee members with state veterans home experience and nursing home administration licensure, replacing prior general language
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates the bill would have no significant effect on the federal budget.
H.R. 785 would modify the membership requirements of the Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee at the Department of Veterans Affairs, requiring at least one member with experience serving veterans in a state veterans' home and at least one licensed nursing home administrator. Because the bill does not change the number of committee members or alter its duties, CBO estimates implementing these new membership qualifications would not affect direct spending, revenues, or the deficit in any scoring window (2026, 2026–2031, or 2026–2036). CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 498.
Official CRS summary
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This bill expands the membership of the Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee within the Veterans Health Administration by requiring the addition of one representative from the National Association of State Veterans Homes who holds a professional license in nursing home administration. Additionally, the committee must consult with the National Association of Veterans State Homes with respect to matters concerning the association.
Legislative subjects
Advisory bodies; Aging; Armed Forces and National Security; Department of Veterans Affairs; Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-578