Disability assistance

SCONRES 22: A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2026 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2027 through 2035.

This concurrent resolution establishes the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2026 and sets forth budgetary levels for FY2027-FY2035.

The resolution recommends levels and amounts for FY2026-FY2035 for

  • federal revenues,
  • new budget authority,
  • budget outlays,
  • deficits,
  • public debt,
  • debt held by the public, and
  • the major functional categories of spending.

It also recommends levels and amounts for Social Security and Postal Service discretionary administrative expenses for the purpose of budget enforcement in the Senate.

In addition, the resolution establishes reserve funds that allow certain adjustments to committee allocations and other budgetary levels to accommodate legislation relating to (1) efficiencies, consolidations, and other savings; or (2) health savings accounts.

The resolution also sets forth budget enforcement procedures that address issues such as budget points of order, emergency legislation, and Congressional Budget Office cost estimates.

HR 4016: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026

Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military activities.

(The bill excludes military construction, military family housing, civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, and nuclear warheads, which are all included in other appropriations bills.)

Within the DOD budget, the bill provides appropriations for

  • Military Personnel;
  • Operation and Maintenance;
  • Procurement;
  • Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; and
  • Revolving and Management Funds.

The bill provides appropriations for Other Department of Defense Programs, including

  • the Defense Health Program,
  • Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction,
  • Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, and
  • the Office of the Inspector General.

In addition, the bill provides appropriations for Related Agencies, including (1) the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund, and (2) the Intelligence Community Management Account.

The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

SRES 210: A resolution honoring and commending the 80th anniversary of the Blinded Veterans Association.

This resolution honors and commends the Blinded Veterans Association for its 80 years of dedicated service, advocacy, and support for blind and low-vision veterans. The resolution also urges the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to (1) guarantee safe access for guide dogs and guide dog users at VA facilities, and (2) ensure that each VA medical center has a trained and capable Service Dog Champion (i.e., a designated staff member who addresses service animal access and issues) on site. Further, the resolution reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to supporting and improving services and opportunities available to all veterans.

S 1383: Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025

Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access to address the accessibility of the VA for individuals with disabilities. Prior to establishing the advisory committee, the VA must take action to abolish or consolidate advisory committees that are currently inactive.

HR 2138: Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025

Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the amounts payable for wartime disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Specifically, the VA must increase the amounts by the same percentage as the cost-of-living increase in benefits for Social Security recipients that is effective on December 1, 2025. The bill requires the VA to publish the amounts payable, as increased, in the Federal Register.

The VA is authorized to make a similar adjustment to the rates of disability compensation payable to persons who have not received compensation for service-connected disability or death.

HR 1741: Veteran Appeals Transparency Act of 2025

Veteran Appeals Transparency Act of 2025

This bill requires the Board of Veterans Appeals to publish a weekly notice of the docket dates of the cases assigned to a board member for a decision that week. The requirement does not apply to cases that have been advanced or remanded. The notice must include a statement that a case assignment appearing on the notice does not require the board to issue a decision regarding the case during that week.

HR 1634: ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act

ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act

This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to (1) provide assistance to individuals with disabilities who desire to become entrepreneurs or to be self-employed, (2) help individuals with disabilities find employment at small businesses; and (3) assist small businesses with hiring such individuals and with accessibility issues applicable to such individuals.

The SBA must conduct outreach and education about such activities.

The bill establishes reporting requirements with respect to these activities.

Introduced on
Wednesday, February 26th, 2025

Subjects
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HR 1621: Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2025

Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2025

This bill requires the Small Business Administration to assess and report on the challenges that entrepreneurs with a disability encounter in starting and operating a business, including any recommendations for legislative actions to address those challenges.

S 611: Caring for Survivors Act of 2025

Caring for Survivors Act of 2025

This bill increases the monthly rate of dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Dependency and indemnity compensation is a monthly payment made to eligible survivors (i.e., spouses, parents, or children) of (1) certain veterans who died as a result of a service-connected condition; (2) service members killed while on active military duty or active or inactive duty for training; or (3) veterans who did not die from a service-connected condition, but were totally disabled by a service-connected disability for a certain period of time.

The bill also (1) reduces, from 10 years to 5 years, the period of time that certain veterans must have been rated totally disabled due to a service-connected disability in order for a survivor to qualify for benefits; and (2) specifies the amount that is payable to survivors of veterans who were rated totally disabled for a period of less than 10 years before their death.

Sponsors

Richard Blumenthal (D) CT

Cosponsors

John Boozman (R) AR

HR 1435: Family-to-Family Reauthorization Act of 2025

Family-to-Family Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Family-to-Family Health Information Centers program. This program provides grants to public or private entities staffed by families and other experts who educate and assist the families of children and youth with special health care needs and the health professionals who serve them.  

HR 1413: To amend title 38, United States Code, to require that domiciliary facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and State homes that provide housing to veterans have resident advocates.

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to employ a resident advocate in each of its domiciliary facilities. The resident advocate must (1) serve as liaison between veterans in the facilities and the VA; (2) receive complaints from such veterans, transmit the complaints to the directors of the facilities, and respond to such complaints; and (3) submit complaints to the Office of Inspector General of the VA when appropriate.

Additionally, state homes must also employ a resident advocate in order to be eligible for payment from the VA for domiciliary care provided to a veteran. A state home is a home established by a state or tribe for veterans who are disabled by age, disease, or otherwise and are incapable of earning a living because of such disability. The term also includes a home that furnishes nursing home care for veterans.