Bill Sponsor
BILLSPONSOR
Bill Sponsor
Politicians
Bills
House Bill 980
119th Congress(2025-2026)
Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act of 2025
Active
Active
Passed House on Feb 2, 2026
Overview
Text
Not Scanned for Linkage
About Linkage
Multiple bills can contain the same text. This could be an identical bill in the opposite chamber or a smaller bill with a section embedded in a larger bill.
Bill Sponsor regularly scans bill texts to find sections that are contained in other bill texts. When a matching section is found, the bills containing that section can be viewed by clicking "View Bills" within the bill text section.
Bill Sponsor is currently only finding exact word-for-word section matches. In a future release, partial matches will be included.
Not Scanned for Linkage
About Linkage
Multiple bills can contain the same text. This could be an identical bill in the opposite chamber or a smaller bill with a section embedded in a larger bill.
Bill Sponsor regularly scans bill texts to find sections that are contained in other bill texts. When a matching section is found, the bills containing that section can be viewed by clicking "View Bills" within the bill text section.
Bill Sponsor is currently only finding exact word-for-word section matches. In a future release, partial matches will be included.
Jump To
H. R. 980 (Reported-in-House)

Union Calendar No. 186

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 980

[Report No. 119–228]


To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the provision of on-campus educational and vocational counseling by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 5, 2025

Mr. Van Orden introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

August 15, 2025

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 5, 2025]

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the provision of on-campus educational and vocational counseling by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. Elimination of requirement that on-campus educational and vocational counseling is provided by certain Department of Veterans Affairs employees.

Section 3697B(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking the second sentence.

SEC. 3. Authority of Secretary of Veterans Affairs to approve non-degree flight training courses as part of vocational rehabilitation programs for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities.

(a) In general.—Section 3104(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by inserting “(1)” before “A rehabilitation program”;

(2) by striking “To the maximum extent practicable” and inserting “Except as provided under paragraph (2), to the maximum extent practicable”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(2) Notwithstanding section 3680A(b) of this title, the Secretary may approve a rehabilitation program for a veteran under this chapter that includes the pursuit of a course of flight training other than one given by an educational institution of higher learning for credit toward a standard college degree the veteran is seeking.”.

(b) Applicability.—The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to a rehabilitation program approved on or after August 1, 2025.

SEC. 4. Outreach requirements for Department of Veterans Affairs training and rehabilitation programs for veterans with service-connected disabilities.

(a) VRE contact information.—Section 3104 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(f) The Secretary shall establish a dedicated telephone number within the Education Call Center of the Department for calls about services provided under this chapter. Each regional office of the Department shall include, on the website of the regional office, a name, telephone number, and email address, through which veterans may receive information about services provided under this chapter.”.

(b) Outreach requirement.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

Ҥ 3123. Outreach requirements

“(a) Question and answer sessions.—The Secretary shall provide monthly question and answer sessions for appropriate school certifying officials during which such officials shall have the opportunity to ask questions of Department employees who are veteran readiness and employment counselors or trained outreach specialists.

“(b) Informational briefings.— (1) The Secretary shall ensure that veteran readiness and employment counselors or trained outreach specialists employed by a Regional Office of the Department provide in-person briefings for veterans about services provided under this chapter at each educational institution located in the geographic area served by the Regional Office.

“(2) The Secretary may provide a briefing required under paragraph (1) virtually in the case of an educational institution located more than 50 miles away from the headquarters of the Regional Office.

“(c) Annual report.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the extension of periods of vocational rehabilitation programs under section 3105(c) of this title. Such report shall include, for the year covered by the report—

“(1) the number of veterans who requested such an extension;

“(2) the number of such requests that were approved; and

“(3) the number of such requests that were rejected.”.

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:


“3123. Outreach requirements.”.

(d) Extension of entitlements.—Section 3105(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;

(2) by inserting “(1)” before “The Secretary”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(2) If a veteran applies for an extension under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall approve or reject the extension by not later than 30 days after the date on which the veteran submits a request for the extension.”.

SEC. 5. Extension of certain limits on payments of pension.

Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking “November 30, 2031” and inserting “May 31, 2032”.

Union Calendar No. 186

119th CONGRESS
     1st Session
H. R. 980
[Report No. 119–228]
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the provision of on-campus educational and vocational counseling by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
August 15, 2025
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed