# 119-hr-6904: Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement and Accountability Act 119-hr-6904, Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement and Accountability Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3] (R-WI); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6904 - As of: 2026-09-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-6904 - Congress: 119 - Title: Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement and Accountability Act - Status: in_committee - Introduced: 2025-12-18 - Sponsor: Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3] (R-WI) - Cosponsors: 0 - Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-09-21 ## Summary **Tighten oversight and eligibility for VA vocational rehabilitation programs.** This bill would focus who can get rehabilitation help, add program funding limits, and boost staffing for job placement services. - Veterans and applicants: Would rewrite eligibility rules for additional vocational programs so eligibility depends on not obtaining employment in the occupation trained for or within one year after training. It would let vocational rehabilitation specialists redevelop individualized plans. The subsistence allowance could be based on the training institution or the veteran’s residence if that home is more than 25 miles away. - Funding, equipment, and administration: Would cap Federal funds per rehabilitation program at $250,000 with an automatic annual adjustment starting October 1, 2026. Payments for equipment over $5,000 would need the Secretary’s approval and the VA must send a yearly report to the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees listing equipment purchases and reasons. - Accountability and staffing: Would allow the Secretary to bar people convicted under 18 U.S.C. 111 for offenses against VA officers from various VA education and rehabilitation benefits. It would also direct the VA to employ an employment counselor at each regional office when practicable. ## Provisions PRIA read - More rehab help if training fails: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would change eligibility rules so a veteran who does not get a job in the occupation they were trained for during the one-year period after training may qualify for additional vocational rehabilitation services. This adds a time-based outcome test that can let veterans get more… - More VA counselors and specialists: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require the VA, to the extent practicable, to have an employment counselor at each VA regional office. It would also add a definition of "vocational rehabilitation specialist" and let those staff, including certain counseling psychologists, redevelop individualized vocati… - Subsistence pay based on residence: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would let the subsistence allowance for a veteran in a rehabilitation program be based on either the school or the veteran's home. The residence option would apply if the veteran lives more than 25 miles from the training institution. This can increase or better align subsisten… - New bar for assault convictions: cost, high. If enacted, the bill would let the VA Secretary bar a person convicted under 18 U.S.C. 111 for an offense against a VA officer or employee from getting benefits under chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, or 36 of title 38. The Secretary would have this authority for convictions that occur on or after the date… - Suspend some disability checks during rehab: cost, high. If enacted, the bill would stop a veteran participating in a vocational rehabilitation program from receiving disability compensation under chapter 11 when their disability is rated total because of individual unemployability. The bar would apply during the time the veteran is in the vocational reh… - Cap on rehab program payments: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would limit Federal payments for an individual vocational rehabilitation program so they may not exceed $250,000. Starting October 1, 2026, and each year after, the Secretary would raise that dollar cap by the most recent percentage increase used under 38 U.S.C. 3015(h). The ch… - Secretary approval for costly equipment: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would require Secretary approval for any payment over $5,000 for equipment under the vocational rehabilitation equipment provision. The Secretary would also have to report to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees within one year and annually for five years on each s… ## Related bills - 119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act - 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025 - 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025 - 119-hr-6976: Duty Status Reform Act - 119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act - 119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025 ## Sources - [119-hr-6904 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6904) ## Related - [119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9237) - [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151) - [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669) - [119-hr-6976: Duty Status Reform Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6976) - [119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2570) - [119-hr-4317: PBM Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4317) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6904 (as of 2026-09-21).