S 423 — PRO Veterans Act of 2025

[Congressional[119th BillsCongress 119thPublic Congress]Law 33] [From the U.S.

Government Publishing Office] [S.[[Page 139 STAT.

423483]] EngrossedPublic inLaw Senate119-33 (ES)]119th <DOC>Congress 119thAn CONGRESSAct 1stTo Sessionprotect S.regular order for budgeting for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

423<<NOTE: _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To protect regular order for budgeting for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

BeAug. it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.

PROTECTING14, REGULAR2025 ORDER- FOR[S. VETERANS.

(a)423]>> ShortBe Title.--Thisit sectionenacted mayby bethe citedSenate asand theHouse ``Protectingof RegularRepresentatives Orderof forthe VeteransUnited ActStates of 2025''America orin theCongress ``PROassembled, VeteransSECTION Act1. of 2025''.

(b)<<NOTE: 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.

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.

(c)[[Page Limitations139 onSTAT. 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:

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:

``(C)(i) Not<<NOTE: 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 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).

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).

ESTABLISHMENT<<NOTE: OF VETERANS EXPERIENCE OFFICE.

(a)Improving ShortVeterans' Title.--ThisExperience sectionAct mayof be2025.>> citedESTABLISHMENT asOF theVETERANS ``ImprovingEXPERIENCE Veterans'OFFICE. Experience Act of 2025''.

(a) <<NOTE:

38 USC 101 note.>> Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Improving Veterans' Experience Act of 2025''.

Veterans<<NOTE: 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').

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').

``(2) The Chief Veterans Experience Officer shall-- ``(A) be<<NOTE: appointed by the Secretary from among individuals the Secretary considers qualified to perform the duties of the position;

Appointment.>> be appointed by the Secretary from among individuals the Secretary considers qualified to perform the duties of the position;

``(5)[[Page Assessing139 andSTAT. 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.

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.

``(2) Funds<<NOTE: 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.

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.

``(f) Privacy.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the Chief Veterans Experience Officer to disclose any record[[Page in139 contraventionSTAT. of section 552a of title 5 (commonly referred to as the `Privacy Act of 1974').

487]] record in contravention of section 552a of title 5 (commonly referred to as the `Privacy Act of 1974').

(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 3 of such title is<<NOTE: amended by adding at the end the following new item:

38 USC prec.

301.>> is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

(c) Comptroller General of the United States Review of Veterans Experience Office and Customer Service Improvement Efforts.--NotEfforts.-- later<<NOTE: than 540 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall-- (1) 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;

andDeadline.>> (2)Not submitlater tothan the540 Committeedays onafter Veterans' Affairs of the Senatedate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Houseenactment of Representativesthis aAct, report setting forth the findings of the Comptroller General withof respect to the analysisUnited completedStates pursuantshall-- to(1) paragraph<<NOTE: (1).

PassedAnalysis.>> complete an analysis of the Senatemethodology, Aprileffectiveness, 8,and 2025.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;

Attest:and (2) <<NOTE:

Secretary.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).