Read what The American Legion said about these critical pieces of legislation.
This week, the House of Representatives passed 14 pieces of veteran-related legislation. These bills represent a wide array of American Legion priorities, including improving access to care, investing in education opportunities for veterans transitioning out of military life, and properly honoring our fallen servicemembers.
Of note, The American Legion was proud to contribute to the final language of H.R. 3579, the Veterans Readiness and Employment Program Integrity Act. This bill seeks to amend the current provisions that delineate the duration of time that a veteran may be in the VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Program. The amendment would set forth a maximum enrollment period of 96 months (eight years) in the program. In cases involving extraordinary circumstances that warrant an extension beyond this limit, a formal request for extension would be required to be submitted to both the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs.
The American Legion opposed the draft version of this bill, citing the following concerns:
“A major cause for concern within this legislation is the lack of exemptions or protections relating to delays stemming from aggravation of a current disability or onset of a new disability. Furthermore, many programs, specifically in STEM fields, require completion of pre-requisite coursework prior to applying for acceptance into the program. Acceptance may be determined by randomized selection processes and constrained by program availability and staffing, adding further delay beyond the veteran's control.
“The American Legion strongly opposes penalizing veterans for circumstances that are outside their control. Any arbitrary limit on program participation that fails to consider medical, academic, or administrative barriers not only undermines the spirit of the VR&E program but also risks excluding the very veterans it was designed to support.”
As a result of our feedback, the amended text now lengthens the time for employment assistance to match the current standard of 18 months. The original text limited the time for employment assistance to 12 months. We are thankful to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for considering our suggestion and including it in the final version of the text.
Of these 14 proposals, The American Legion has provided testimony regarding 10 bills. Below is what The American Legion has said about these critical pieces of legislation:
H.R. 3400, TRAVEL Act. “The opportunity for a short-term assignment outside of the continental United States could be very attractive to current employees and improve retention, and could also be an incentive for recruiting new providers who are seeking the opportunity to work abroad or in underserved areas. The American Legion supports this legislation.”
H.R. 3767, Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act. “The recruitment and retention of medical providers has always been a struggle in the VA medical system. The American Legion has consistently supported the VA’s recruitment and retention measures. The Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025 is endorsed through Resolution No. 115: Department of Veterans Affairs Recruitment and Retention, which supports recruitment and retention challenges that the VA has who are providing direct health care to our nation’s veterans.”
H.R. 3854, Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act. “The American Legion can support this legislation through Resolution No. 123: Increase the Transparency of the Veterans Benefits Administration's Claim Processing. 22 This resolution includes a resolved clause that the Legion wants Congress to pass legislation that will bring VA claim processing to under 125 days with a 98% accuracy rate. This legislation will help achieve that goal by utilizing AI resources.”
H.R. 2034, Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act. “The American Legion is proud to endorse and support the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act. The American Legion applauds the Committee and more specifically, this Subcommittee for providing oversight over the scholarship program and as determined, offering solutions to improve access to the program.”
H.R. 2334, Servicemember Residence Protection Act. “While this assertion raises questions about state autonomy, the legislative language remains broad and reliable data on the issue is limited. The legislation could better specify how servicemembers can enforce these protections, especially while they are deployed away from home. Additionally, having clarity on court procedures and available federal relief mechanisms is essential to assisting servicemembers through squatter-involved situations.
“Given the lack of quantitative data on squatting incidents involving servicemembers, Congress should consider directing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Department of Defense (DoD) to produce reports that assess the scale and geographic distribution of the problem. Ultimately, the statute must address how protections are triggered, who can enforce them, and whether servicemembers are entitled to expedited legal proceedings or presumptive legal arguments in their favor. The American Legion supports this proposal through Resolution No. 84: Support and Strengthen the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The American Legion supports H.R. 2334 with recommended amendments.”
H.R. 3481, Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act. “The American Legion is encouraged by the growing recognition in Congress of the importance of providing student veterans with essential, transparent information about the return on investment in higher education. The American Legion is proud to support this legislation.”
H.R. 3951, Rural Veteran improved Access to Benefits Act. “The American Legion supports this legislation through Resolution No. 14: Quality Assurance for Department of Veterans Affairs Contracted Compensation and Pension (C&P) Examinations, which urges Congress to pass legislation that will ensure the quality and timeliness of C&P examinations performed by VA contractors, and ensure that they provide veterans with professional, high-quality service.”
H.R. 3494, VA Hospital Inventory Management System Authorization Act. “The American Legion is deeply concerned that each year the Department of Veterans Affairs loses millions of dollars in medical supplies due to antiquated and inefficient inventory systems. As the OIG has weighed in on this issue extensively, citing deficiencies in managing supplies, equipment, and implant inventory; The American Legion supports this legislation through Resolution No. 25: Reviews of the Department of Veterans Affairs Programs.”
H.R. 2701, Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act. “The American Legion believes, as a matter of both principle and national honor, that every fallen American warrior must be remembered in accordance with their beliefs and identity. Your bill’s creation of the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program — to empower the American Battle Monuments Commission to research and facilitate marker corrections — provides the necessary framework and funding to begin this solemn and sacred task. We particularly commend the legislation’s attention to the real-world challenges that descendants face in navigating the marker correction process, and the provision of dedicated funding to support that work over the next decade. The American Legion applauds your bipartisan leadership on this issue, and we urge swift passage of this important legislation so that we may, at long last, properly honor these heroes.” (5/15 Letter of support from immediate Past National Commander James LaCoursiere Jr.)
H.R. 1860, the Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordination Act. The American Legion expressed its strong support for this legislation. This proposal, along with other legislation concerning women veterans and servicemembers, “will ensure our servicemembers know that our nation intends to keep the promise to care for those who have borne the battle, ensuring that military service remains a desirable path for future generations.”
This is only a small fraction of the 255-plus bills The American Legion has analyzed since the beginning of the 119th Congress. To view a list of these proposals, please visit Action Center. The American Legion Washington, D.C., team continues to work diligently on behalf of servicemembers, veterans, caregivers and survivors by engaging with Congressional staff and providing subject matter expertise on myriad proposals that would impact the Legion Family.
If you or your department believes that The American Legion should analyze a particular piece of legislation, please contact legislativedivision@legion.org.
- Legislative