119th Congress (2025-2026)

HR 1147

Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025

In Second Chamber

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Official source

Chamber

House

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Bill overview

This bill establishes the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve the accessibility of VA services, benefits, information, and facilities for individuals with disabilities. The committee will advise the Secretary on accessibility issues and ensure compliance with relevant laws. Additionally, the bill extends certain VA home loan fee rates through June 23, 2034.

Key provisions

Establishes the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee on Equal Access.
Requires the committee to advise the Secretary on improving accessibility for veterans with disabilities.
Mandates the committee to assess access barriers and provide recommendations for improvement.
Directs the VA to report on its progress to Congress.
Requires the VA to abolish or consolidate inactive advisory committees.
Extends VA home loan fee rates through June 23, 2034.

Who is affected

Veterans with disabilities
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Individuals with disabilities
Employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs
Organizations advocating for veterans with disabilities

Notable changes

Creates a new advisory committee focused specifically on accessibility.
Mandates the consolidation or abolition of inactive advisory committees.
Extends the duration of certain VA home loan fee rates.

Positions across the country

No public positions recorded for this legislation.

Arguments in favor

Reasons to support this legislation.

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Arguments opposed

Reasons to oppose this legislation.

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Legislative history

2025-02-07House

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

2025-02-07

Introduced in House

2025-02-07

Introduced in House

2025-05-19House

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Passage without roll call

The official record shows passage by unanimous consent or voice vote where no roll call was taken. No member-level tally is available for these steps, and the district map does not apply.

5/19/2025HouseVoice vote
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2123-2124)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.
5/19/2025Voice vote
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2123-2124)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

Floor votes and chamber actions

Recorded roll calls list how each member voted. Unanimous consent or voice vote appears in the official action history without a roll call; no member-level tally is available for those steps.

Passage without roll call

5/19/2025HouseVoice vote
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2123-2124)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.
5/19/2025Voice vote
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2123-2124)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

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Feb 7, 2025XMLView source

119th CONGRESS — 1st Session

H. R. 1147

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes.

1.Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025

2.Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access

(a)EstablishmentSubchapter III of chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

549.Advisory Committee on Equal Access

(a)Establishment

(1)The Secretary shall establish an advisory committee on matters relating to accessibility of the Department for individuals with disabilities.

(2)

The advisory committee established under paragraph (1) shall be known as the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access (in this section referred to as the Advisory Committee).

(b)Membership

(1)

The Advisory Committee shall be composed of 15 voting members, appointed by the Secretary. In appointing such members, the Secretary shall ensure the following:

(A)Four are veterans with disabilities, including mobility impairment, hearing, visual, and mental or cognitive disabilities.

(B)Four are experts on issues described in subsection (f)(1)(A) or the provisions of law set forth under subsection (f)(1)(B).

(C)

Two are employees of the Department, one from the Section 508 Office and one from the Architectural Accessibility Program, who oversee the compliance of the Department with Federal accessibility laws.

(D)

Five are representatives nominated by veterans service organizations, recognized under section 5902 of this title, that advocate for veterans with physical, sensory, mental, or cognitive disabilities.

(2)

The Advisory Committee shall also include four ex officio members (or their designees):

(A)

The Under Secretary for Health.

(B)The Under Secretary for Benefits.

(C)The Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs.

(D)The chairperson of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board established by section 502 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93–112; 29 U.S.C. 792).

(c)Terms; vacancies

(1)A member of the Advisory Committee shall be appointed for a term of two years. The Secretary may reappoint members to the Advisory Committee for such additional two-year terms as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(2)The Secretary shall fill a vacancy in the Advisory Committee in the same manner as the original appointment not later than 180 days after such vacancy occurs.

(d)Meetings; subcommittees; quorum

(1)The Advisory Committee shall meet not less frequently than twice each year.

(2)

The Advisory Committee may form subcommittees, which shall meet as often as required.

(3)

A majority of the members of the Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum.

(e)Chairperson

(1)

Members of the Advisory Committee shall select a Chairperson from among the members of the Advisory Committee.

(2)

If the position of Chairperson becomes vacant, the members of the Advisory Committee shall select a new Chairperson not later than 30 days after the date on which the position became vacant.

(f)Duties

(1)

On a regular basis, the Secretary shall consult with and seek the advice of the Advisory Committee—

(A)on improving the accessibility of the Department for individuals with disabilities, including improving—

(i)

the accessibility of information of the Department, including electronic information;

(ii)

the accessibility of the services and benefits furnished by the Department;

(iii)the accessibility of the facilities of the Department;

(iv)

the accessibility of facilities of health care providers furnishing care or services under the Veterans Community Care Program under section 1703 of this title; and

(v)the acquisition process of the Department to ensure that products and services, including information technology and information and communication technology (as defined in the standards issued by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board pursuant to section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93–112; 29 U.S.C. 794d)), are accessible when purchased; and

(B)for ensuring the compliance of the Department with provisions of law that ensure equal access to Federal facilities, benefits, or services, for individuals with disabilities, including the following:

(i)

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–336; 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).

(ii)Sections 501, 504, and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93–112; 29 U.S.C. 791, 794, and 794d).

(iii)

The Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note).

(iv)

The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (Public Law 115–336; 44 U.S.C. 3501 note).

(v)

The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90–480; 42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.).

(2)

In advising to the Secretary, the Advisory Committee shall, focusing on the areas of greatest need for the Department—

(A)

assess the disability access needs of veterans, the public, and Department employees, for full access to the Department’s information, services, and benefits, by reviewing relevant information, such as filed complaints by people with disabilities or physical assessments of the Department’s facilities;

(B)

provide assessments of accessibility at the Department and the compliance of the Department with applicable provisions of law relating to disability and accessibility; and

(C)

provide advice on improving accessibility at the Department, including the accessibility of all—

(i)

communications, including internal and public-facing;

(ii)

services and benefits; and

(iii)

facilities.

(3)Reports

(A)

Not later than two years after the date of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee, and not less frequently than once every two years thereafter, the Advisory Committee shall submit to the Secretary a report that, focusing on areas of greatest need for the Department—

(i)identifies and assesses access barriers affecting veterans, the public, and employees of the Department;

(ii)

determines the extent to which the programs and activities of the Department address the barriers identified in clause (i), including compliance of the Department with provisions of law relating to accessibility law and reporting;

(iii)

provides recommendations and access priorities to improve the accessibility of the Department’s services, benefits, information, technology, and facilities;

(iv)provides a description of access improvements and assesses the Department’s implementation of recommendations from previous reports of the Advisory Committee, including any unmet recommendations that remain necessary for improving accessibility for the Department; and

(v)provides any recommendations for legislation, administrative action, or other actions that the Advisory Committee determines appropriate.

(B)

(i)Not later than 90 days after the receipt of a report required under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a copy of such report and any comments and recommendations of the Secretary concerning such report that the Secretary determines appropriate.

(ii)

The Secretary shall publish on a publicly accessible website of the Department such report and such comments and recommendations as may have been submitted along with such report.

(iii)

In this subparagraph, the term appropriate congressional committee means—

(I)

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives;

(II)the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate;

(III)

the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives; or

(IV)the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate.

(g)Advisory Committee personnel and resource matters

(1)

A member of the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall not be compensated for the performance of the duties of the Advisory Committee.

(2)A member of the Advisory Committee shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Advisory Committee.

(3)The Secretary shall ensure that such personnel, funding, and other resources are made available to the Advisory Committee as the Secretary determines appropriate to carry out the duties of the Advisory Committee.

(4)

The Secretary shall furnish to the Advisory Committee such information as the Advisory Committee may request from the Secretary, subject to applicable provisions of law.

(h)Termination of Advisory CommitteeThe Advisory Committee shall terminate on the day that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of the

Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025

(b)Table of sectionsThe table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding, after the item relating to section 548, the following new item:

549. Advisory Committee on Equal Access.

(c)Implementation; abolition of inactive advisory committee

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and before establishing the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access under section 549 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall—

(1)

abolish an advisory committee of the Department of Veterans Affairs that—

(A)

was not established by an Act of Congress; and

(B)

is inactive;

(2)

consolidate two advisory committees described in paragraph (1); or

(3)submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a recommendation to abolish an advisory committee of the Department that—

(A)

was established by an Act of Congress; and

(B)

is inactive.

3.Modification of certain housing loan fees

The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking June 9, 2034 each place it appears and inserting June 23, 2034.

HR 1147

Bill overview

Key provisions

Who is affected

Notable changes

Sponsors

Primary sponsor

Cosponsors

Positions across the country

Arguments in favor

Arguments opposed

Passage without roll call

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Bill text

Fiscal impact

Positions across the country

Passage without roll call

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call