PRIA Logo™
S1543119th CongressWALLET

Veterans Opportunity Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Banks, Jim [R-IN]

In Committee

Summary

A single VA administration for veterans' economic opportunity and transition services. This bill would create the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration to administer VA programs that help veterans and their dependents with job training, education, housing loans, and transition support.

Show full summary
  • Veterans and families: Would consolidate vocational rehabilitation and employment programs, educational assistance, veterans' housing loan and related programs, and the Transition Assistance Program under one administration to coordinate economic and transition services.
  • VA employees and unions: Would establish an Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition who reports to the Secretary, and transferred employees would retain labor rights, union inclusion, and collective bargaining protections.
  • Congress and oversight: Would require an annual report to Congress, within the Secretary's annual report, listing claims received and decided, average processing time, successful outcomes, full‑time equivalent employees, and amounts spent on information technology.
  • Timing and budget guidance: Would take effect on October 1 of the first fiscal year after enactment and expresses a Sense of Congress that creating the administration should not change VA budget levels or the number of full‑time staff compared with the day before enactment.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New VA office for veterans' opportunity

This bill would create a Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration inside VA. It would run vocational rehab, education help, VA home loans, and transition assistance. The office would take effect on October 1 of the first fiscal year after enactment. The bill would also require yearly program reports and set up a commission to recommend candidates for the Under Secretary. The Under Secretary job would begin on October 1, 2025.

Protections for veterans and VA workers

This bill would bar VA from moving veteran services into the new office until the Secretary certifies services won't be harmed and are ready to move. The certification could be sent no earlier than April 1 and must be sent by September 1 of the first fiscal year after enactment. If the Secretary misses that deadline, VA would have to explain why and give a new estimated date. The bill would also require that transferred VA employees keep their union membership and collective bargaining agreements. The bill states that Congress thinks the move should not change VA budgets or staff levels, but that statement is non-binding.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Banks, Jim [R-IN]

IN • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 4/30/2025

  • Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/30/2025

  • Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 4/30/2025

  • Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 5/7/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation