119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 980 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 
improvements to the provision of on-campus educational 
and vocational counseling by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 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 Readiness 
and Employment Improvement Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF REQUIREMENT THAT ON-CAMPUS 
EDUCATIONAL 
AND 
VOCATIONAL 
COUN-
SELING IS PROVIDED BY CERTAIN DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEES. 
Section 3697B(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking the second sentence. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
TO APPROVE NON-DEGREE FLIGHT TRAINING 
COURSES AS PART OF VOCATIONAL REHA-
BILITATION PROGRAMS FOR CERTAIN VET-
ERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABIL-
ITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3104(b) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘A rehabilitation 
program’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘To the maximum extent prac-
ticable’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided under 
paragraph (2), to the maximum extent practicable’’; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
‘‘(2) Notwithstanding section 3680A(b) of this title, 
the Secretary may approve a rehabilitation program for 
a veteran under this chapter that includes the pursuit of 
a course of flight training other than one given by an edu-
cational institution of higher learning for credit toward a 
standard college degree the veteran is seeking.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub-
section (a) shall apply with respect to a rehabilitation pro-
gram approved on or after August 1, 2026. 
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TRAINING 
AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS FOR VET-
ERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABIL-
ITIES: 
OUTREACH 
REQUIREMENT; 
EXTEN-
SIONS. 
(a) VRE CONTACT INFORMATION.—Section 3104 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(f) The Secretary shall establish a dedicated tele-
phone number within the Education Call Center of the De-
partment for calls about services provided under this chap-
ter. Each regional office of the Department shall include, 
on the website of the regional office, a name, telephone 
number, and email address, through which veterans may 
receive information about services provided under this 
chapter.’’.
(b) REQUESTS
FOR EXTENSIONS
OF PROGRAMS: 
TIMELY CONSIDERATION; REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 3105 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended, in subsection (c)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 
(2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Sec-
retary’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall approve or deny a request 
for an extension under paragraph (1) not later than 30 
days after the date on which the veteran submits such re-
quest.’’. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter for five years, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives 
an annual report on requests for extensions under 
such subsection (c). Each such report shall include, 
for the year preceding the date of the report— 
(A) the number of veterans who requested 
such an extension;
(B) the number of such requests that were 
approved; and 
(C) the number of such requests that were 
denied. 
SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITS ON PAYMENTS OF 
PENSION. 
Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘January 31, 2033’’ and inserting 
‘‘July 31, 2033’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 2, 
2026. 
Attest: 
Clerk.