Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2024
Public Law 118-196 · S. 2513 · 118th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 23, 2024 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Jerry Moran
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
This act addresses certain requirements related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical disability examinations for purposes of benefit claims and other administrative matters related to the benefit claims processes and personnel.
First, the act updates procedures related to the publishing of VA disability benefit questionnaire forms. Specifically, the VA does not have to publish certain forms if it determines the form could not reasonably be completed to a clinically acceptable standard by someone who is not an employee or contractor of the VA.
The act also requires the VA to report on its efforts to provide reimbursement for a veteran's travel to a facility, regardless of whether the facility is inside or outside of the United States, when such travel is incident to a medical disability examination for purposes of VA benefits.
The VA must also include certain elements in contracts it enters with non-VA providers to provide medical disability examinations. Specifically, the contracts must require that every communication from the provider to the applicant regarding the scheduling of a medical disability examination must be transmitted to any person or organization that is legally designated by the applicant and is recognized for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims.
Additionally, the VA must partner with veterans service organizations and other stakeholders (as determined by the VA) to implement an outreach program for veterans regarding (1) contact information for non-VA providers that are providing medical disability examinations, and (2) the requirement for veterans to provide personally identifiable information when contacted by such providers to verify their identity.
The VA must report on improving its support of governmental veterans service officers.
The VA must establish a Board of Veterans' Appeals internship program for individuals enrolled in the first or second year of law school.
The VA must also implement a program to furnish student loan repayment benefits or reimbursements for courses, bar exams, or bar membership dues to certain attorneys who agree to work for the VA for at least three years.
The act extends and increases by one the temporary increase in the maximum number of judges presiding over the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Finally, the VA must report on improving access to telehearings for Board of Veterans' Appeals hearings.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1530Related bill
Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.
- Dec 23, 2024Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-196.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 16, 2024FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2513.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Dec 13, 2024FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 12, 2024FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 26, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 3326SenateSen. Jerry MoranR-KS· offered Dec 12, 2024Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 12, 2024: Amendment SA 3326 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.