I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1147 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Veterans Advisory 
Committee on Equal Access, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 7, 2025 
Mr. VALADAO (for himself and Mr. MCGARVEY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the 
Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Accessibility 
Advisory Committee Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL AC-
CESS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subchapter III of chapter 5 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section: 
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‘‘§ 549. Advisory Committee on Equal Access 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—(1) The Secretary shall es-
tablish an advisory committee on matters relating to ac-
cessibility of the Department for individuals with disabil-
ities. 
‘‘(2) The advisory committee established under para-
graph (1) shall be known as the ‘Veterans Advisory Com-
mittee on Equal Access’ (in this section referred to as the 
‘Advisory Committee’). 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—(1) The Advisory Committee 
shall be composed of 15 voting members, appointed by the 
Secretary. In appointing such members, the Secretary 
shall ensure the following: 
‘‘(A) Four are veterans with disabilities, includ-
ing mobility impairment, hearing, visual, and mental 
or cognitive disabilities. 
‘‘(B) Four are experts on issues described in 
subsection (f)(1)(A) or the provisions of law set 
forth under subsection (f)(1)(B). 
‘‘(C) Two are employees of the Department, 
one from the Section 508 Office and one from the 
Architectural Accessibility Program, who oversee the 
compliance of the Department with Federal accessi-
bility laws. 
‘‘(D) Five are representatives nominated by vet-
erans service organizations, recognized under section 
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5902 of this title, that advocate for veterans with 
physical, sensory, mental, or cognitive disabilities. 
‘‘(2) The Advisory Committee shall also include four 
ex officio members (or their designees): 
‘‘(A) The Under Secretary for Health. 
‘‘(B) The Under Secretary for Benefits. 
‘‘(C) The Under Secretary for Memorial Af-
fairs. 
‘‘(D) The chairperson of the Architectural and 
Transportation Barriers Compliance Board estab-
lished by section 502 of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973 (Public Law 93–112; 29 U.S.C. 792). 
‘‘(c) TERMS; VACANCIES.—(1) A member of the Ad-
visory Committee shall be appointed for a term of two 
years. The Secretary may reappoint members to the Advi-
sory Committee for such additional two-year terms as the 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall fill a vacancy in the Advisory 
Committee in the same manner as the original appoint-
ment not later than 180 days after such vacancy occurs. 
‘‘(d) MEETINGS; SUBCOMMITTEES; QUORUM.—(1) 
The Advisory Committee shall meet not less frequently 
than twice each year. 
‘‘(2) The Advisory Committee may form subcommit-
tees, which shall meet as often as required. 
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‘‘(3) A majority of the members of the Advisory Com-
mittee shall constitute a quorum. 
‘‘(e) CHAIRPERSON.—(1) Members of the Advisory 
Committee shall select a Chairperson from among the 
members of the Advisory Committee. 
‘‘(2) If the position of Chairperson becomes vacant, 
the members of the Advisory Committee shall select a new 
Chairperson not later than 30 days after the date on which 
the position became vacant. 
‘‘(f) DUTIES.—(1) On a regular basis, the Secretary 
shall consult with and seek the advice of the Advisory 
Committee— 
‘‘(A) on improving the accessibility of the De-
partment for individuals with disabilities, including 
improving— 
‘‘(i) the accessibility of information of the 
Department, including electronic information; 
‘‘(ii) the accessibility of the services and 
benefits furnished by the Department; 
‘‘(iii) the accessibility of the facilities of the 
Department; 
‘‘(iv) the accessibility of facilities of health 
care providers furnishing care or services under 
the Veterans Community Care Program under 
section 1703 of this title; and 
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‘‘(v) the acquisition process of the Depart-
ment to ensure that products and services, in-
cluding information technology and information 
and communication technology (as defined in 
the standards issued by the Architectural and 
Transportation Barriers Compliance Board pur-
suant to section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 
of 1973 (Public Law 93–112; 29 U.S.C. 
794d)), are accessible when purchased; and 
‘‘(B) for ensuring the compliance of the Depart-
ment with provisions of law that ensure equal access 
to Federal facilities, benefits, or services, for individ-
uals with disabilities, including the following: 
‘‘(i) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 (Public Law 101–336; 42 U.S.C. 12101 
et seq.). 
‘‘(ii) Sections 501, 504, and 508 of the Re-
habilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93–112; 
29 U.S.C. 791, 794, and 794d). 
‘‘(iii) The Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Pub-
lic Law 111–274; 5 U.S.C. 301 note). 
‘‘(iv) The 21st Century Integrated Digital 
Experience Act (Public Law 115–336; 44 
U.S.C. 3501 note). 
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‘‘(v) The Architectural Barriers Act of 
1968 (Public Law 90–480; 42 U.S.C. 4151 et 
seq.). 
‘‘(2) In advising to the Secretary, the Advisory Com-
mittee shall, focusing on the areas of greatest need for 
the Department— 
‘‘(A) assess the disability access needs of vet-
erans, the public, and Department employees, for 
full access to the Department’s information, services, 
and benefits, by reviewing relevant information, such 
as filed complaints by people with disabilities or 
physical assessments of the Department’s facilities; 
‘‘(B) provide assessments of accessibility at the 
Department and the compliance of the Department 
with applicable provisions of law relating to dis-
ability and accessibility; and 
‘‘(C) provide advice on improving accessibility 
at the Department, including the accessibility of 
all— 
‘‘(i) communications, including internal 
and public-facing; 
‘‘(ii) services and benefits; and 
‘‘(iii) facilities. 
‘‘(3) REPORTS.—(A) Not later than two years after 
the date of the first meeting of the Advisory Committee, 
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and not less frequently than once every two years there-
after, the Advisory Committee shall submit to the Sec-
retary a report that, focusing on areas of greatest need 
for the Department— 
‘‘(i) identifies and assesses access barriers af-
fecting veterans, the public, and employees of the 
Department; 
‘‘(ii) determines the extent to which the pro-
grams and activities of the Department address the 
barriers identified in clause (i), including compliance 
of the Department with provisions of law relating to 
accessibility law and reporting; 
‘‘(iii) provides recommendations and access pri-
orities to improve the accessibility of the Depart-
ment’s services, benefits, information, technology, 
and facilities; 
‘‘(iv) provides a description of access improve-
ments and assesses the Department’s implementa-
tion of recommendations from previous reports of 
the Advisory Committee, including any unmet rec-
ommendations that remain necessary for improving 
accessibility for the Department; and 
‘‘(v) provides any recommendations for legisla-
tion, administrative action, or other actions that the 
Advisory Committee determines appropriate. 
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‘‘(B)(i) Not later than 90 days after the receipt of 
a report required under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a copy of such report and any comments and recommenda-
tions of the Secretary concerning such report that the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary shall publish on a publicly acces-
sible website of the Department such report and such com-
ments and recommendations as may have been submitted 
along with such report. 
‘‘(iii) In this subparagraph, the term ‘appropriate 
congressional committee’ means— 
‘‘(I) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives; 
‘‘(II) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
Senate; 
‘‘(III) the Committee on Education and Work-
force of the House of Representatives; or 
‘‘(IV) the Special Committee on Aging of the 
Senate. 
‘‘(g) ADVISORY COMMITTEE PERSONNEL AND RE-
SOURCE MATTERS.—(1) A member of the Commission 
who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Govern-
ment shall not be compensated for the performance of the 
duties of the Advisory Committee. 
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‘‘(2) A member of the Advisory Committee shall be 
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of sub-
sistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, while away 
from their homes or regular places of business in the per-
formance of services for the Advisory Committee. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall ensure that such personnel, 
funding, and other resources are made available to the Ad-
visory Committee as the Secretary determines appropriate 
to carry out the duties of the Advisory Committee. 
‘‘(4) The Secretary shall furnish to the Advisory 
Committee such information as the Advisory Committee 
may request from the Secretary, subject to applicable pro-
visions of law. 
‘‘(h) TERMINATION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The 
Advisory Committee shall terminate on the day that is 10 
years after the date of the enactment of the Veterans Ac-
cessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025.’’. 
(b) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections at 
the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding, after 
the item relating to section 548, the following new item: 
‘‘549. Advisory Committee on Equal Access.’’. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION; ABOLITION OF INACTIVE AD-
VISORY COMMITTEE.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and before establishing 
the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access under 
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section 549 of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
subsection (a), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 
(1) abolish an advisory committee of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs that— 
(A) was not established by an Act of Con-
gress; and 
(B) is inactive; 
(2) consolidate two advisory committees de-
scribed in paragraph (1); or 
(3) submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a 
recommendation to abolish an advisory committee of 
the Department that— 
(A) was established by an Act of Congress; 
and 
(B) is inactive. 
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES. 
The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘June 9, 
2034’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘June 23, 
2034’’. 
Æ 
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