Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2025

This bill expands VA care and benefits for people who experienced military sexual trauma (MST). It sets clearer rules for MST-related disability claims: VA can consider nonmilitary evidence (like records from counselors or police) and signs of behavior change, along with a diagnosis and a medical link to the trauma. Veterans must be told what evidence can help, a qualified mental health professional should review it, and specialized teams will handle these claims. Veterans may request their exam at a VA facility with a VA clinician instead of a contractor site. When an MST claim is filed, VA must contact the veteran within 14 days with MST coordinator contacts, nearby VA and Vet Center locations, and the Veterans Crisis Line; VA letters must include this information and be written with care to avoid re‑traumatization.

It widens who can get care by opening MST counseling and treatment to all former members of the Reserve and National Guard, and clarifies that MST includes sexual assault or harassment that happened while serving, no matter the duty status. It supports people who leave a service academy by giving them information about care and copies of related records or reports. To improve accuracy and reduce harm, VA must review MST claims every year, fix any errors it finds, and continue these checks until accuracy is at least 95% for five straight years. The bill also creates a workgroup to improve medical exams and cut down on repeat exams, orders a study on staff training and claim processing, and requires a report on MST in the digital age to spot gaps in coverage for online abuse.

• Who is affected: Veterans and former Reserve/Guard members who experienced MST; students who leave a service academy.
• What changes: Easier ways to prove claims (nonmilitary proof and behavior changes), option to have exams at a VA facility, faster connection to care and clear contact info in VA letters, and yearly accuracy checks with fixes.
• When: VA must reach out within 14 days after an MST claim; set up a medical exam workgroup within 90 days; start an MST claims outreach program within 180 days; and deliver reports within one year.