# 119-s-1245: Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2025 119-s-1245, Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1245 - As of: 2026-09-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-1245 - Congress: 119 - Title: Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2025 - Status: in_committee - Introduced: 2025-04-01 - Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT) - Cosponsors: 15 - Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-09-17 ## Summary **Would standardize and strengthen how the Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates and handles military sexual trauma (MST) claims.** It sets clear MST definitions for health care and for disability compensation and pairs those rules with new processes, training, and outreach to reach more survivors and improve decision accuracy. - Veterans and claimants: Creates a dedicated MST claims-evaluation framework that requires trained specialized teams to process all MST-related disability claims. Claimants can supply corroborating evidence and must get a 14-day notice with MST coordinator and crisis resources after filing. - Service members and former students: Expands MST counseling and treatment eligibility to all former members of the Reserve Components and lets people who withdraw from or do not complete service academies obtain service treatment records and related investigative reports. - VA operations and oversight: Requires a VA workgroup to rewrite sensitive communications, mandatory staff training, an independent study and public report within one year, and annual statistically based reviews that require reprocessing claims when errors are found. ## Cosponsors (15) - Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (R-AK), 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA] (D-PA), 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-07-14T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR] (R-AR), 2025-09-29T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-10-15T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-10-27T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2026-01-14T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-01-28T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-09-15T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Annual accuracy reviews and training study: benefit, medium. If enacted, VA would run yearly accuracy reviews of MST disability claims using a national, statistically significant sample. If the review finds an entitlement error, VA would return that claim for reprocessing. The special-review requirement would end only after five straight years with at least… - New rules for MST claims: benefit, medium. If enacted, VA would use a new legal standard for disability claims tied to military sexual trauma. VA would require a mental-health diagnosis and a medical link between current symptoms and the MST event. VA would have to consider credible corroborating evidence, including nonmilitary sources and… - Workgroup to improve MST exams: benefit, medium. If enacted, VA would set up a workgroup within 90 days to review medical exams used for MST compensation claims. The group must review exam quality and ways to reduce repeat exams and re-traumatization and give recommendations within 180 days. The Secretary would report to Congress within one year… - Better MST letters and contact info: benefit, low. If enacted, VA would form a workgroup to rewrite MST-related letters so they do not re-traumatize recipients. VA would require MST contact details in many written notices, including the Veterans Crisis Line, the nearest VA facility and Vet Center, and Vet Center eligibility rules. Notices that awar… ## Related bills - 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 - 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 - 119-s-410: Love Lives On Act of 2025 - 119-s-2903: Safe Step Act - 119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act - 119-s-339: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act ## Sources - [119-s-1245 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1245) ## Related - [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066) - [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241) - [119-s-410: Love Lives On Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-410) - [119-s-2903: Safe Step Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2903) - [119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1032) - [119-s-339: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-339) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1245 (as of 2026-09-17).