BIG CHANGES FOR VETERANS? A CLOSER LOOK AT 2025 VETERAN BILLS & THEIR IMPACT
Far and wide, the ushering in of President Donald Trump’s second administration has been felt throughout the Veteran community, and even before taking office, legislation was in motion affecting the lives of Vets. Keeping up with it all is a task and a half; however, our guide is here to help you understand all the developments with Veterans' bills unfolding in a very active 2025.
What Are the New Bills Passed for Veterans?
2025 has seen a variety of Veterans' bills ranging from healthcare to housing benefits and more introduced, passed, or still in the process of becoming law.
Below is a breakdown of the legislation Vets need to pay attention to this year and how it affects their lives.
Isakson and Roe Act
While the Isakson and Roe Act has been around since 2021, there is an important change that could come in 2025. Despite heavily touching on education, the bill is complex and also touches on VA burial benefits among other things.
As it stands, if a Veteran were to choose to receive a commemorative plaque or urn from the VA, they would effectively forfeit burial benefits for being laid to rest in a national cemetery—even though their spouse could still be buried there.
This oversight is inspiring lawmakers to make an amendment to the bill so that it’s worded correctly and Veterans wouldn’t lose the opportunity to be laid to rest with their partners in a national VA cemetery.
Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP)
The big change to the VASP program would take benefits away from Veterans when they need them the most.
As it stands, the VASP program is a last resort for Vets who may have to foreclose on their homes. If all other options have been exhausted and you qualify, Vets can have the VA purchase a modified loan from their lender, helping them get back on track and keep their homes.
However, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) is following the general 2025 vibe of bringing cuts to the government by calling for huge caps that could hurt Veterans. Specifically, if his proposal is accepted, Rep. Van Orden will limit VASP to only 250 loans per year, putting Veterans at a greater risk of facing foreclosures.
Coast Guard Separation Parity Act
The Coast Guard Separation Parity Act will help members of the USCG who have at least 18 years of service not be forced out before reaching the 20-year retirement mark. This bill has bipartisan support as well as support from the Veteran community.
Should it go through, this would help the Coast Guard better align with other military branches, improving retention and fairness.
Major Richard Star Act
Veterans receiving full military retirement pay and VA disability benefits will find that they won’t get the full amount because they offset. The Major Richard Star Act is here to fix that.
If it passes, there are around 50,000 Vets who will benefit from the law changing this oversight. It’s been a fight in the making for years and the pressure is on for Congress as supporters want it passed in 2025.
Veterans Equal Access Act
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) is helping make Veteran life more 4/20-friendly by providing Vets with greater access to medical cannabis through the Veterans Equal Access Act.
The bill would allow VA doctors to recommend cannabis in states where it’s legal, helping Vets manage PTSD, pain, and other conditions. Right now, there are concerns in the Veteran community that they may lose benefits if they let their use of cannabis become known.
Mast understands the plight of Vets seeking alternative treatments as he himself is a wounded Veteran. The Veterans Equal Access Act will help end stigmas while expanding access to care for those who may need it the most.
Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act
The ACCESS Act of 2025 would improve healthcare access for Veterans by ensuring VA community care standards prioritize timely, local treatment. Additionally, the bill expands access to mental health and addiction programs and considers Veteran preference in care decisions.
The ACCESS Act could protect the healthcare choices Vets make, whether that is with the VA or not.
Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025
Building off of the Precision Brain Health initiative found in the Commander John Scott Hannon Mental Health Care Improvement Act in 2020, the Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025 is aiming to dive deeper into researching low-level blast injuries.
In recent years, science has started to take greater notice of the damage low-level blasts can do and the risks posed to service members and Veterans alike. Should it pass, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the VA will collaborate on a ten-year research plan, report its findings to Congress, and help the military community in the future by creating new legislation for those who suffer from such ailments in the future.
Aviator Cancers Examination Study (ACES) Act
The ACES Act has bipartisan support to help look into why service members who are a part of aircrews face elevated cancer risks. Should it pass, the ACES Act will create a collaboration between the VA and the National Academies of Sciences so that proper studies can work to explain the 15% elevated cancer risk that military aircrews face.
As a result, these studies should not only find potential reasons for the cancers but also improve healthcare options for Veterans.
Rural Transportation to Care for Veterans Act
The Highly Rural Transportation Grant (HRTG) Program helped around 2.7 million Veterans have access to free transportation when they needed to make a VA-authorized healthcare appointment.
Through the Rural Veterans Health Access Program (RVHAP), states would help boost the resources started under the HRTG for rural communities and improve care throughout the Veteran community.
Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA)
HUDVA is going to help homeless disabled Veterans access housing built specifically for them through an amendment to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) definition of income. Under this law, VA disability benefits would be eliminated when calculating eligibility for the HUD-VASH program.
Championed by Rep. Brad Sherman, this bill would make HUD’s recent policy change permanent, aligning it with other federal programs and ensuring disabled Veterans aren’t denied housing due to their benefits.
The Veterans Supporting Prosthetics and Recreational Therapy (SPORT) Act
Veterans who need adaptive prosthetics for sports and recreation could get a boost from the support of a Veteran law in 2025. The Veteran SPORT Act would allow the VA to provide these devices, helping Vets exercise and participate in recreational activities that may otherwise not be possible.
While some believe the bill is redundant and could cost a lot of money for equipment that never gets used, supporters are highlighting the mental health benefits of staying active.
There are still a lot of hurdles to clear for the SPORT Act to become a reality, but several supporters are pressing to help both the physical and emotional well-being of the Veteran community.
CHIP IN for Veterans Act
The Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act, seeks to make the successful VA pilot program permanent moving forward.
Originally launched in 2016, the program from this legislation allows the acceptance of donated buildings and construction for Veteran healthcare facilities from non-federal resources at no additional cost to the federal government.
By removing the pilot status, this Veterans Affairs bill ensures continued community support for enhancing Veterans' resources.
If approved, the bill will take effect in December 2026, improving facilities and services for Veterans through community contributions and solidifying a valuable partnership between the VA and donors.
Dental Care for Veterans Act
Somewhere along the way, dental care became something somewhat separated from healthcare, despite the obvious connection.
Introduced by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA), the Dental Care for Veterans Act aims to change this for Veterans, by making dental care a standard service under the VA, just like other medical treatments.
The bill removes outdated restrictions in Title 38, ensuring access for Vets to necessary dental care, including dentures.
If passed, eligibility will roll out in phases over four years, and while some Veterans receive immediate access, the rollout is to allow the VA time to expand its services effectively.
Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act
Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act, aiming to make it easier for disabled Vets to qualify for housing assistance.
It’s an amendment to the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 that excludes VA disability compensation from income calculations when determining eligibility for low- and moderate-income housing programs.
By eliminating these figures, Veterans who deserve these benefits aren't unfairly disqualified from housing aid they have also rightfully earned.
Furthermore, if the act passes, there is to be a government report, reviewing and improving the methods used to determine qualifying for housing programs when Veterans receive benefits.
Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act
Even with Veterans' benefits bills helping the community, recent economic pressures continue to make these efforts feel as if they’re often coming up short.
The Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act would help retired military personnel with disabilities enjoy even more financial freedom by opening up more benefits for those who qualify.
Right now, Vets with service-connected disabilities rated below 50% aren’t above to receive their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation at the same time.
This is why new legislation is being brought up so that qualifying Veterans can receive both payments without offset.
Furthermore, the bill extends these benefits to Chapter 61 retirees who haven’t reached the 20-year service threshold.
Overall, if the government passes this bill, more disabled Veterans receive better compensation and more financial stability after sacrificing for our nation.
Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act
If the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act passes, copayments for contraceptive medications provided by the VA would be eliminated.
By doing so, Veterans won’t pay more than what the VA pays for these medications and eliminates copays already covered under federal health insurance without cost-sharing.
This law would improve reproductive health access for Veterans by removing financial barriers for Vets, helping to promote health equity by eliminating an expense.
Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act of 2025
Under the Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act of 2025, menopause-related healthcare at the VA would improve for the community.
The bill directs the Comptroller General to study current VA menopause care, including access, provider training, treatment quality, and education. Using these findings, recommendations will be made for improving services.
Within six months of the report’s release, the VA Secretary must submit a plan to Congress outlining how these improvements will be implemented.
The end goal is to provide Vets with high-quality, comprehensive menopause care tailored to their needs.
Sergeant Ted Grubbs Mental Healthcare for Disabled Veterans Act
Representative Rudy Yakym III (R-IN) is looking to help Veterans dealing with mental health issues and introduced the Sergeant Ted Grubbs Mental Healthcare for Disabled Veterans Act.
The goal of the bill is to help Vets with service-connected mental disorders rated 50% or higher receive even greater access to vital mental health services.
In practice, Vets would receive hospital, medical, or extended care services from the VA within five days of their request.
By doing so, disabled Veterans receive timely care for urgent mental healthcare needs.
TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act
A RAND report on military and Veteran caregivers delivers the stark truth millions are facing around the country—those taking care of our nation’s heroes have problems with their finances, mental health, and much more.
The Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act is working on solutions that will provide support for a community spending their own money to care for loved ones all while losing income and career opportunities due to their focus shifting to caregiving.
It’s a bill that will help inform caregivers of Veterans, standardizing notifications about eligibility changes.
Furthermore, this Veterans’ bill will allow caregivers who don’t qualify for the program to have their benefits extended for 90 days under qualifying circumstances.
Veteran Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act of 2025
The Veteran Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act of 2025 will mandate an independent review of Veteran suicides with the goal of not only improving mental healthcare resources but also preventing future tragedies.
A collaboration between the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the National Academies of Sciences is also outlined to identify and assess why these suicides are happening with a focus on the use of medication, non-medication treatments, staffing levels, and the role of State Medicaid agencies.
Using these findings, a final report will be presented within 180 days featuring ways to enhance mental health services, reduce Veteran suicides, and improve care.
Veterans 2nd Amendment Restoration Act of 2025
The Veterans 2nd Amendment Restoration Act of 2025 is seeking to amend the protocols for transmitting Veterans' information to the national instant criminal background check system.
This Veterans’ bill will order the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify the Attorney General if information regarding Veterans' mental incompetence or need for a fiduciary is no longer applicable.
Furthermore, the legislation also stipulates that these determinations should not automatically classify Vets as “mental defectives” under federal firearms laws.
This is an important bill for those concerned about mental health and/or Second Amendment rights. If successful, the bill will reinstate rights to Veterans unjustly flagged due to mental health determinations or fiduciary needs.
Veterans Affairs Transfer of Information and Sharing of Disability Examination Procedures With DoD Doctors Act
The Veterans Affairs Transfer of Information and Sharing of Disability Examination Procedures With DoD Doctors Act is streamlining not only the disability evaluation process between the DoD and the VA but also how the two share examination information.
Additionally, this bill requires a single comprehensive disability exam as part of the DoD’s physical for separating service members from VA-certified providers.
As a result, the eligibility determinations of Vets for VA disability ratings are binding.
Furthermore, if this legislation is successful, it will mandate a joint DoD-VA system to share and maintain medical and personnel records, eliminating duplicative exams, speeding up benefits, and improving care for Veterans.
Veterans Collaboration Act
Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA) introduced the Veterans Collaboration Act, which would create a two-year pilot program to foster collaboration between the VA, nonprofits, and law schools to assist Vets with administrative tasks.
If the bill becomes law, the program would be greenlit to help Veterans overcome many frustrations regarding their benefits by filing claims and appeals and address legal needs, with law schools offering pro bono legal services.
Furthermore, quarterly reports showing progress would be presented to Congress, showing the improvement for Veterans who need access to legal and administrative resources.
It’s worth noting that this bill aims to prioritize those living in larger Veteran populations while leveraging social media for outreach.
Veterans Foreign Medical Coverage Equality and Modernization Act of 2025
Introduced by Representative Nick LaLota (R-NY), this legislation amends Title 38 of the U.S. Code, expanding healthcare access for Veterans with permanent and total service-connected disabilities.
If successful, this bill will require that the VA provides hospital care and medical services outside a Veteran’s home state while ensuring treatments follow U.S. medical standards and use FDA-approved medications.
Furthermore, if this act becomes law, mobile apps for digital form submission and tracking as well as direct deposit for reimbursements will have apps developed to help improve care and processes for Veterans.
Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
Introduced by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act is all about giving Vets more control over their healthcare.
Instead of being stuck with limited options, this bill empowers the Veteran community, allowing them to choose their doctors, including mental health providers.
The VA will launch a pilot program in at least four regions, covering both rural and urban areas.
Vets can get care at any VA facility, even if it’s outside their usual network, or at approved non-VA facilities when needed. As a result, more privatized healthcare may be sought by the community.
To start, the program is running for three years, with a setup year first. and the VA must report back to Congress on how it’s going.
If passed, this bill could make life easier for Vets by cutting red tape and giving them better access to care—wherever and with whomever they choose.
Veterans Infertility Treatment Act of 2025
While in vitro fertilization (IVF) has come a long way, many within the military community find it difficult to access these services. However, another bill introduced by Rep. Brownley aims to fix this issue.
H.R. 220 will help Veterans dealing with infertility, an issue that can often be linked to a variety of injuries or health conditions due to military service.
Not only would Vets and their partners receive up to three completed IVF cycles that result in a live birth or ten attempted cycles, but the VA is also covering fertility preservation for those at risk of infertility—those who qualify can even use donated embryos and gametes with proper consent.
Furthermore, depending on your situation, the VA may help with travel costs for partners, and this bill won’t change existing maternity care policies while ensuring state laws handle legal matters related to embryos and gametes.
If passed, H.R. 220 would remove financial barriers and give Veterans a better chance to start a family, addressing an important yet often overlooked part of their healthcare.
Veterans Member Business Loan Act
If the Veterans Member Business Loan Act, passes, it's going to be easier for Vets to receive funding for their ventures.
Introduced by Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), the bill is an amendment to the Federal Credit Union Act, no longer classifying loans for Vets as member business loans.
By doing so, credit unions would be able to offer more loans to qualifying Veterans without hitting lending limits, expanding financial opportunities for Vets who are business owners.
The bill also aligns the definition of Veteran with existing federal law and would take effect six months after becoming law.
Veterans’ True Choice Act of 2025
Enrolling in TRICARE Select could become a reality thanks to a Veterans' bill introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL).
The Veterans' True Choice Act of 2025 would allow Veterans with service-connected disabilities to enroll in TRICARE Select during the annual open enrollment period.
Cost-sharing responsibilities would be based on the specific eligibility of each Veteran with reimbursements coming from agreements worked out between the VA and DoD.
While H.R. 244 would expand healthcare choices for Veterans with disabilities, dependents would not be able to use the bill for TRICARE Select eligibility.
Veteran’s Choice Accountability Act
Rep. Wittman isn't just focused on helping Vets with administrative and legal issues.
He also introduced the Veteran's Choice Accountability Act in 2025 to help the VA improve its healthcare offerings.
The bill is going to require an evaluation of all VA health programs, mandating the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assess hospital, medical, and nursing home care programs.
Using the information from this assessment, the VA will ensure the most used specialized care programs remain "centers of excellence."
Within two years of enactment, the Secretary must submit a report to Congress on the VA Budget and Choice Improvement Act implementation, with the goal of producing high-quality specialized care for our nation's heroes.
What Is the New Bill Passed for Veterans?
As you can see, there is a lot on the docket as far as legislation with a direct impact on the Veteran community in 2025.
The main themes involve healthcare, financial support, and housing; however, there are also efforts to help business owners and caregivers, defend the rights of Veterans, and more.
Veterans' bills this year have major ramifications for millions of Americans and remain newsworthy stories to keep an eye on today and throughout the year.
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