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HR 659 · in committee · significant

Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025

What this bill does

  • The bill requires the Veterans Appeals Board to prioritize hiring judges with at least three years of relevant legal experience.
  • This affects veterans seeking appeals decisions and the Department of Veterans Affairs hiring process.
  • The change takes effect immediately upon enactment with no new appropriations required.

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Community Threads

Started by Cosponsor

  1. 01

    How might requiring three years of legal experience for Veterans Appeals Board judges affect the speed and backlog of veterans' appeal decisions?

  2. 02

    What types of legal experience should count as relevant for these judicial positions, and could that definition exclude qualified candidates?

  3. 03

    If the VA cannot find enough experienced judges meeting this requirement, how should the department balance hiring standards against processing appeals timely?

Cosponsor writes these to seed civic discussion — they aren't user posts. Sign in to reply.

Sponsor · D-CA-26

Julia Brownley

Citizen cosponsors

0

In Congress

4/ 435

House Reps cosponsoring

Introduced 2026-01-26

Joining the bill

Legislative timeline

  1. 2026-01-26 · senate · IntroReferral

    Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

  2. 2026-01-20 · house · Floor

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  3. 2026-01-20 · house · Floor

    On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H936)

  4. 2026-01-20 · Floor

    Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H936)

  5. 2026-01-20 · house · Floor

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 659.

  6. 2026-01-20 · house · Floor

    Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H936-937)

  7. 2026-01-20 · house · Floor

    Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

  8. 2025-09-26 · house · Calendars

    Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 263.

  9. 2025-09-26 · house · Committee

    Reported by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-309.

  10. 2025-09-26 · Committee

    Reported by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-309.

  11. 2025-07-23 · house · Committee

    Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

  12. 2025-07-23 · house · Committee

    Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

  13. 2025-07-03 · house · Committee

    Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Discharged

  14. 2025-06-24 · house · Committee

    Subcommittee Hearings Held

  15. 2025-03-04 · house · Committee

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

  16. 2025-01-23 · house · IntroReferral

    Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

  17. 2025-01-23 · IntroReferral

    Introduced in House

  18. 2025-01-23 · IntroReferral

    Introduced in House

Congress.gov ↗

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