Bills · 119th Congress · Armed Forces and National Security

Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act

Where it stands

  1. Introduced2/13/25
  2. Passed HousePassed 5/19/25
  3. Senate
  4. President
  5. Law

Passed the House 386–1 on May 19, 2025 (Roll Call 133 →). Received in the Senate on May 20, 2025. No Senate action since.

Set your address to see how your representatives voted.

Roll calls on this bill

Votes on passage
HouseOn Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended · 5/19/25Suspension of the rulesA fast-track House procedure, usually for measures expected to have broad support. Debate is limited to 40 minutes, no amendments can be offered, and it needs a two-thirds vote of members voting — not a simple majority. A yes vote passes the bill. “As amended” means changes written into the motion itself are included.Rules of the House, Rule XV, clause 1 ↗
Passed
  • Democratic192 Yea · 0 Nay · 21 Not voting
  • Republican194 Yea · 1 Nay · 24 Not voting
  • Independent / Other0 Yea · 0 Nay · 0 Not voting
Official summary (CRS)

Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to seek to enter an agreement with a federally funded research and development center to assess the forms that the VA sends to claimants. The center must submit a written assessment to the VA that includes recommendations on how the VA may make the forms clearer and more organized.

The VA must implement certain recommendations in the assessment within two years after the assessment is received.

Full text on congress.gov ↗
Sponsor
Rep. Robert P. Bresnahan, Jr. ( Republican · PA-8)
Cosponsors
18
Introduced
2/13/25
Policy area
Armed Forces and National Security

What happens next

The Senate must pass the same text, then it goes to the President.

If it isn't enacted by Jan 3, 2027, it expires when the 119th Congress ends.

All actions (18)
  1. 2/13/25Introduced in House
  2. 2/13/25Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  3. 3/14/25Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
  4. 3/26/25Subcommittee Hearings Held
  5. 4/9/25Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  6. 4/9/25Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
  7. 5/6/25Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  8. 5/17/25Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-100.
  9. 5/17/25Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 73.
  10. 5/19/25Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  11. 5/19/25Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2124-2126)
  12. 5/19/25DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1286.
  13. 5/19/25At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  14. 5/19/25Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2136-2137)
  15. 5/19/25Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 - 1 (Roll no. 133). (text: CR H2125)
  16. 5/19/25On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 386 - 1 (Roll no. 133). (text: CR H2125)
  17. 5/19/25Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  18. 5/20/25Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.