David Valadao (R-CA)
Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In the other chamber's committee
Passed one chamber and has been handed to a committee in the other.
The committee decides whether it goes any further, and most bills that reach a committee never leave it. A committee that simply does nothing kills a bill without anyone ever voting against it, so no news from here is usually the news.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed House voice vote
- In Senate committee
The House by voice vote (members called out yes or no together): no member's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act," directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modernize various departmental processes. It requires an annual report detailing causes of death among veterans, including service-connected disability status and manner of death. The Secretary must also submit a plan to expand the use of automation tools to assist in processing claims and compiling evidence. Additionally, the bill mandates the implementation of policies to ensure claims processors are notified of changes in dependency compensation or educational assistance for certain children of veterans. Finally, it requires a plan to ensure documents are correctly labeled within the Veterans Benefits Management System.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +8
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill modernizes claims processing through automation and provides critical data on mortality causes.
- Scored +7
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill enhances benefits through automation of claims processing and improved notification for dependent benefits.
- Scored +5
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill improves transparency through mandatory annual reports on veteran mortality.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Data on Veteran Mortality: The Secretary must submit an annual report detailing the primary and secondary causes of death, as well as the manner of death, for veterans (Section 2). This provides specific information regarding whether a veteran had a service-connected disability rated as total.
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Enhanced Claims Processing through Automation: The bill directs the development of a plan to use automation tools to retrieve service or health records, compile evidence for claims, provide decision support, and assist in generating correspondence (Section 3).
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Automated Benefits Management for Families: The Secretary must implement capabilities to ensure claims processors are notified of "covered situations," which include increases in dependency compensation or educational assistance paid to the child of a veteran (Section 4).
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Better Document Organization: The bill requires a plan to ensure that documents uploaded to the Veterans Benefits Management System are correctly labeled, including those uploaded via automation tools (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Temporary Nature of Mortality Reporting: The requirement for the annual report on causes of death among veterans is set to terminate five years after the enactment of the Justice for America's Veterans and Survivors Act of 2025 (Section 2).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill modernizes claims processing through automation and provides critical data on mortality causes. Would children be better off under this? — The bill ensures automated notifications for educational assistance and dependency compensation for children of veterans. Would students be better off under this? — The bill improves administration of educational assistance for children of veterans.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill enhances benefits through automation of claims processing and improved notification for dependent benefits.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill improves transparency through mandatory annual reports on veteran mortality.
- Healthcare
- Does this help veterans get medical care? — The bill improves healthcare administration through better mortality data and automated record retrieval for claims.
- 9/16/2025
- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 9/15/2025
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4290-4291: 1)
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4290)
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3854.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4290)
- Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 9/9/2025
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-260.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 216.
- 7/23/2025
- Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- 7/3/2025
- Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Discharged
- 6/24/2025
- Subcommittee Hearings Held
- 6/23/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
- 6/9/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.