[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6564 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6564
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the Center for
Minority Veterans and the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to
include services for historically underserved veterans, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2025
Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the Center for
Minority Veterans and the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to
include services for historically underserved veterans, 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 ``Historically Underserved Veterans
Inclusion Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF CENTER FOR MINORITY VETERANS AND ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON MINORITY VETERANS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Center for Minority and Historically Underserved Veterans.--
Section 317 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in the heading, by inserting ``and Historically
Underserved'' after ``Minority'';
(2) by inserting ``Executive'' before ``Director'' each
place it appears;
(3) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ``and Historically Underserved''
after ``Minority''; and
(B) by striking ``the Center a'' and inserting
``the Center an'';
(4) in subsection (d), by striking ``veterans who are
minorities'' each place it appears and inserting ``covered
veterans''; and
(5) in subsection (g)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ```veterans who are
minorities''' means and inserting ```covered
veterans'''; and
(ii) by inserting ``and veterans who are
historically underserved'' after ``minority
group members''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by striking ``The term'' and inserting
``The terms'';
(ii) by inserting ``and `veterans who are
historically underserved''' after ``minority
group member'';
(iii) by striking ``has the meaning given
such term'' and inserting ``have the meanings
given such terms''; and
(iv) by striking ``section 544(d)'' and
inserting ``section 544''.
(b) Advisory Committee on Minority and Historically Underserved
Veterans.--Section 544 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in the heading, by inserting ``and Historically
Underserved'' after ``Minority'';
(2) by striking ``veterans who are minority group members''
each place it appears and inserting ``covered veterans'';
(3) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and
Historically Underserved'' after ``Minority'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)(v)--
(I) by striking ``women''; and
(II) by inserting ``who are women''
before ``and are''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by adding at the
end the following new clauses:
``(vii) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (or
a representative of the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development designated by the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development).
``(viii) The Secretary of Education (or a representative of
the Secretary of Education designated by the Secretary of
Education).
``(ix) The Attorney General (or a representative of the
Attorney General designated by the Attorney General).
``(x) The Administrator of the Small Business
Administration (or a representative of the Administrator of the
Small Business Administration designated by the Administrator
of the Small Business Administration).
``(xi) The Director of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy (or a representative of the Director of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy designated by the Director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy).''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(5) The duties of the Committee are to advise the Secretary on
the following:
``(A) Modifying programs of the Department relating to
policy, regulations, and legislative affairs to improve the
representation of covered veterans within the Department.
``(B) Expanding benefits and services under the laws
administered by the Secretary for covered veterans, including
such benefits and services relating to health care, suicide
prevention, and homelessness.
``(C) Incorporating research and practices from outreach
programs to improve the provision of health care and burial
benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary to
covered veterans.
``(D) Addressing issues raised by State and local
organizations that serve covered veterans.
``(E) Issuing, to private, non-profit, and faith-based
organizations that serve covered veterans, guidance relating to
addressing the needs of covered veterans.
``(F) Helping covered veterans receive benefits and
services under the laws administered by the Secretary to which
covered veterans are entitled.
``(G) Improving the methods by which covered veterans may
submit feedback to the Department with respect to policies and
regulations of the Secretary, including through stakeholder
forums, social media, and virtual town halls.
``(H) Developing outreach and engagement to covered
veterans.
``(I) Commemorating the contributions of covered veterans
to their respective communities.
``(J) To explore options on how the Secretary may
incorporate lessons learned utilizing journey mapping, human
center design, social determinants of wellness metrics, or
other means to illustrate the life experience cycle of minority
and historically underserved veterans to create a more holistic
understanding of important life cycle events and their
impact.'';
(4) by striking subsection (e);
(5) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e);
(6) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new
subsection:
``(d)(1) The Secretary shall, on a biennial basis, carry out a
review to identify any disparities among groups of veterans in the
receipt of benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary. In
carrying out any such review, the Secretary shall consider relevant
recommendations from the Committee and data analysis conducted by the
Department.
``(2) Not later than 120 days after the date on which Secretary
completes any such review, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a
report that includes, if applicable, recommendations with respect to
extending services of Center for Minority and Historically Underserved
Veterans under section 517 of this title to groups of veterans the
Secretary determines to be historically underserved pursuant to such
review.''; and
(7) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by striking ``section,'' and all that follows
through ``who is--'' and inserting ``section:'';
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as
subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively (and
adjusting the margins accordingly);
(C) by inserting before subparagraph (A) (as so
redesignated) the following new paragraphs:
``(1) The term `covered veterans' means veterans who are
minority group members and veterans who are historically
underserved.
``(2) The term `minority group member' means an individual
who is--'';
(D) in paragraph (2) (as added by subparagraph
(C))--
(i) in subparagraph (D) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``or'';
(ii) in subparagraph (E) (as so
redesignated), by striking the period at the
end and inserting a semicolon; and
(iii) by adding at the end of the following
new subparagraphs:
``(F) Middle Eastern or North African American; or
``(G) identified with more than one race or
ethnicity described in subparagraphs (A) through
(F).''; and
(E) by adding after paragraph (2) (as added by
subparagraph (D)) the following new paragraph:
``(3) The term `veterans who are historically underserved'
means veterans the Committee determines have experienced
difficulty in receiving benefits under the laws administered by
the Secretary to which such veterans are entitled on the basis
of one or more of the following:
``(A) Sexual orientation.
``(B) Gender identity.
``(C) English language proficiency.
``(D) United States citizenship.
``(E) Religion.
``(F) Low socioeconomic status.
``(G) Residing in a rural community (as defined in
regulations promulgated by the Secretary of
Agriculture).
``(H) Membership in a group of veterans the
Secretary determines appropriate pursuant to the
biennial review required under subsection (d).''.
SEC. 3. REINSTATEMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF
EQUITY ASSURANCE; BIANNUAL BRIEFING.
(a) Reinstatement.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
(1) permanently reinstate the authority, functions,
responsibilities, and research activities of the Office of
Equity Assurance of the Veterans Benefits Administration;
(2) reinstate the employment of each employee of the Office
of Equity Assurance, if such employee was terminated after
January 20, 2025;
(3) ensure that a position in the Office of Equity
Assurance may not be eliminated pursuant to a reduction in
force; and
(4) provide to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Senate a briefing with respect
to the status of the implementation of recommendations included
in the report of the Comptroller General of the United States
titled ``VA Disability Benefits: Action Needed to Further
Examine Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Compensation'' (GAO-
23-106097; published July 26, 2023).
(b) Biannual Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the date on
which the Secretary reinstates the Office of Equity Assurance pursuant
to subsection (a), and on a biannual basis thereafter, the Under
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits shall provide to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Senate a briefing on the data, research, and analysis developed by the
Office of Equity Assurance during the period covered by the briefing.
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