119-hr980

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 980 Reported in House

    (RH) ]

<DOC>

 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:
``

Sec. 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