National Veterans Advocate Act of 2025

Summary

Transforms the VA’s existing patient-advocacy office into an independent Office of the National Veterans’ Advocate inside the Department of Veterans Affairs, led by a National Veterans’ Advocate who reports to the Secretary and is paid at the highest SES basic pay rate. Expands the office’s authority to monitor VA processes, handle casework across the Department, assign rapid local caseworkers, propose administrative and legislative remedies, maintain a public casework website, and submit semiannual, public reports and independent legislative recommendations directly to Congress.

• Creates an independent Office of the National Veterans’ Advocate inside the VA and elevates its lead to report directly to the Secretary.
• Head of the Office is paid at the highest SES basic pay rate.
• Gives the Office authority to monitor VA processes, manage Department-wide casework, and rapidly assign local caseworkers.
• Requires semiannual reports to congressional Veterans’ Affairs committees with independent legislative recommendations.
• Mandates a public website with access to the Office’s casework IT system and public posting of recommendations.
• Office may propose both administrative and legislative remedies to fix systemic problems veterans face.
• Legislative recommendations submitted to Congress cannot be reviewed by VA leadership before transmission.