[119th Congress Public Law 33]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[[Page 139 STAT. 483]]
Public Law 119-33
119th Congress
An Act
To protect regular order for budgeting for the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Aug. 14, 2025 - [S. 423]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act of
2025.>> PROTECTING REGULAR ORDER FOR
VETERANS.
(a) <<NOTE: 38 USC 101 note.>> Short Title.--This section may be
cited as the ``Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act of 2025'' or
the ``PRO Veterans Act of 2025''.
(b) <<NOTE: Termination date.>> Quarterly Briefings on Department of
Veterans Affairs Budgetary Shortfalls.--
(1) Quarterly briefings.--
(A) Quarterly briefings required.--During the first
quarter beginning after the date of the enactment of
this Act and in each quarter thereafter until the date
that is three years after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
provide to the appropriate committees of Congress a
quarterly briefing, in person, on the budget of the
Department of Veterans Affairs and any shortfall the
Department may be experiencing.
(B) Plans.--In any case in which the Secretary
informs Congress during a briefing under paragraph (1)
that the Department is experiencing a shortfall, the
Secretary shall, during such briefing, present the plans
of the Secretary to address or mitigate the shortfall.
(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(i) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(ii) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(B) Shortfall.--The term ``shortfall'', with respect
to a fiscal year, means that the amount of
appropriations required by the Department of Veterans
Affairs for such fiscal year to meet all of the
statutory obligations of the Department during that
fiscal year exceeds the amount of appropriations
requested for the Department for that fiscal year in the
budget of the President submitted pursuant to section
1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, for that fiscal
year.
[[Page 139 STAT. 484]]
(c) Limitations on Provision of Incentives for Critical Skills to
Senior Executive Service Employees of Department of Veterans Affairs.--
Section 706(d) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(7)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B)(ii), a critical skill incentive
may not be provided under paragraph (1) to an employee of the Department
employed in a Senior Executive Service position, or a position in
another comparable system for senior-level Government employees, as
defined by the Secretary, whose position is at the Central Office of the
Department, including the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans
Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration,
regardless of the actual location where the employee performs the
functions of the position.
``(B)(i) A critical skill incentive provided under paragraph (1) to
an employee of the Department employed in a Senior Executive Service
position, or a position in another comparable system for senior-level
Government employees, as defined by the Secretary, not described in
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph may only be provided--
``(I) on an individual basis and may not be provided to a
group of such employees; and
``(II) upon approval of the following officers or those
serving in an acting capacity:
``(aa) The Under Secretary for Benefits, the Under
Secretary for Health, or the Under Secretary for
Memorial Affairs.
``(bb) The Assistant Secretary for Human Resources
and Administration.
``(cc) The Director of the Office of Management or
the Chief Financial Officer.
``(dd) The Assistant Secretary for Accountability
and Whistleblower Protection.
``(ee) The General Counsel.
``(ff) Such other officers as the Secretary
determines appropriate.
``(ii) In the case of an employee of the Department employed in a
Senior Executive Service position, or a position in another comparable
system for senior-level Government employees, as defined by the
Secretary, whose position is primarily at the Central Office of the
Department, but who performs some portion of the employee's job function
at other facilities of the Department, as defined by the Secretary, not
at Central Office--
``(I) the employee shall not be considered described in
subparagraph (A) with respect to the portion of the employee's
job function that is based out of non-Central Office facilities
of the Department; and
``(II) any critical skill incentive provided under paragraph
(1) to the employee for the portion of the employee's job
function that is based out of facilities of the Department other
than the Central Office shall be proportionate to the time spent
at those Department facilities.
``(C)(i) <<NOTE: Reports.>> Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of the Protecting Regular Order for Veterans Act of
2025, and not less frequently than once each year thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives an annual report on the employees of the Department
[[Page 139 STAT. 485]]
employed in a Senior Executive Service position, or a position in
another comparable system for senior-level Government employees, as
defined by the Secretary, who were provided a critical skill incentive
under paragraph (1).
``(ii) Reports submitted pursuant to clause (i) may be submitted by
incorporating their contents into other congressionally mandated reports
to the committees described in such clause.
``(D) In this paragraph, the term `Senior Executive Service
position' has the meaning given such term in section 3132(a) of title
5.''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: Improving Veterans' Experience Act of
2025.>> ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS EXPERIENCE
OFFICE.
(a) <<NOTE: 38 USC 101 note.>> Short Title.--This section may be
cited as the ``Improving Veterans' Experience Act of 2025''.
(b) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 325. <<NOTE: 38 USC 325.>> Veterans experience office
``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department within
the Office of the Secretary an office to be known as the `Veterans
Experience Office' (in this section referred to as the `Office').
``(b) Head of Office.--(1) The head of the Office shall be the Chief
Veterans Experience Officer.
``(2) The Chief Veterans Experience Officer shall--
``(A) <<NOTE: Appointment.>> be appointed by the Secretary
from among individuals the Secretary considers qualified to
perform the duties of the position;
``(B) report directly to the Secretary; and
``(C) be responsible for carrying out the functions of the
Office set forth under subsection (c).
``(c) Function.--The functions of the Office are as follows:
``(1) Carrying out the key customer experience initiatives
of the Department relating to veterans' and other beneficiaries'
satisfaction with and usage of benefits and services furnished
under laws administered by the Secretary for which they are
eligible, including setting the strategy, framework, policy, and
other guidance for the Department relating to customer
experience, including ensuring the activities of the Office and
those of other organizations and offices within the Department
are coordinated and not duplicative.
``(2) Requiring the heads of other organizations and offices
within the Department to report regularly on customer experience
metrics, action plans, and other customer experience improvement
efforts to the Chief Veterans Experience Officer.
``(3) Collecting veteran-derived data--
``(A) to determine veteran and beneficiary
satisfaction with and usage of the benefits and services
furnished under laws administered by the Secretary for
which they are eligible; and
``(B) to be considered during policymaking.
``(4) Providing strategic guidance and strategies to
Department entities for engaging with veterans and beneficiaries
regarding benefits and services furnished under laws
administered by the Secretary, including those not using such
benefits and services.
[[Page 139 STAT. 486]]
``(5) Assessing and advising the Secretary on the accuracy
and helpfulness of the websites and other customer-facing
information of the Department, be it available electronically or
in any other format.
``(6) Assessing and advising the Secretary on the status and
opportunities for improvement of the customer service efforts of
the Department.
``(d) Reports.--(1) Each year, the Chief Veterans Experience Officer
shall submit to the Secretary a summary of the data received by the
Chief Veterans Experience Officer under subsection (c)(2).
``(2) Each year, not later than 180 days after the date on which the
Secretary receives the summary under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
submit to Congress an annual summary and analysis of the matters
summarized pursuant to such paragraph.
``(3) Each annual summary submitted pursuant to paragraph (2) shall
include the following:
``(A) Data regarding customer service and experience
feedback, disaggregated by benefit or service furnished under
laws administered by the Secretary, and relevant demographic
data of the veterans and beneficiaries providing the feedback.
``(B) Data regarding veteran and beneficiary satisfaction
with and usage of benefits or services, disaggregated by benefit
or service furnished under laws administered by the Secretary,
and relevant demographic data of the veterans and beneficiaries
providing the feedback, including--
``(i) potential reasons for not using the benefits
or services, such as--
``(I) eligibility;
``(II) lack of knowledge or awareness of
existence of benefit or service;
``(III) barriers of technology, information,
or time; and
``(IV) other related reasons; and
``(ii) an analysis of how such reasons may be
addressed.
``(e) Staff and Resources.--(1) The Secretary shall ensure that--
``(A) the Office has such staff, resources, and access to
customer service and experience information as may be necessary
to carry out the functions of the Office; and
``(B) any information provided to the Office does not
include personally identifiable information of an individual
veteran, survivor, dependent, or other beneficiary unless such
individual provides appropriate consent to allow such
information to be shared with the Office.
``(2) <<NOTE: Determination.>> Funds available for basic pay and
other administrative expenses of other Department organizations and
offices may be available to reimburse the Office for all services
provided at rates which will recover actual costs for services provided
to such organizations if the Secretary determines that contributing to
such costs will not undermine the ability of any such organization or
office to provide services required by such office.
``(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize an
increase in the number of full-time employees otherwise authorized for
the Department.
``(f) Privacy.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to
authorize the Chief Veterans Experience Officer to disclose any
[[Page 139 STAT. 487]]
record in contravention of section 552a of title 5 (commonly referred to
as the `Privacy Act of 1974').
``(g) Sunset.--The requirements and authorities of this section
shall terminate on September 30, 2028.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 3 of such title <<NOTE: 38 USC prec.
301.>> is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``325. Veterans Experience Office.''.
(c) Comptroller General of the United States Review of Veterans
Experience Office and Customer Service Improvement Efforts.--
<<NOTE: Deadline.>> Not later than 540 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall--
(1) <<NOTE: Analysis.>> complete an analysis of the
methodology, effectiveness, and implementation of findings and
feedback of veterans and beneficiaries used by the Department of
Veterans Affairs, including the Veterans Experience Office, to
improve veteran and beneficiary customer experience and
satisfaction, including through the use of what are known as
``trust-scores'', Veteran Signals also known as ``VSignals'',
and related survey and data collection activities, processes,
and initiatives; and
(2) <<NOTE: Reports.>> submit to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the House of Representatives a report setting forth the findings
of the Comptroller General with respect to the analysis
completed pursuant to paragraph (1).
Approved August 14, 2025.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 423:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 171 (2025):
Apr. 8, considered and passed Senate.
July 21, considered and passed House.
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