Sponsors (3)
The bill aims to speed VA appraisal turnarounds and boost appraiser participation—especially in high‑demand or remote areas—by raising and indexing fees and reimbursing travel, at the trade‑off of higher VA program costs, potential geographic fee unevenness, and no guaranteed immediate relief in hard‑to‑staff rural markets.
Veterans in high‑demand or remote counties: appraisal turnarounds and loan closing times are likely to shorten because higher locality fees and GSA mileage reimbursements make appraiser assignments in those areas more attractive.
Appraisers (especially those who must travel): will receive GSA mileage reimbursement and routinely published fee schedules with annual adjustments tied to the FHFA House Price Index, preserving compensation value and encouraging greater appraiser participation.
Taxpayers and the public: Congress and the public will get data‑driven cost and program‑effect estimates within 180 days and targeted recommendations, improving oversight and the chance to identify fixes or pilot approaches before wider implementation (which can reduce future fraud, waste, and abuse).
Taxpayers and the VA program: higher locality appraisal fees, mileage reimbursement, and fee increases tied to the FHFA House Price Index will raise program costs and could increase taxpayer spending or require VA budget tradeoffs, especially during housing market booms.
Veterans and lenders: designating certain counties as 'high‑demand' can produce uneven fee increases across locations, creating pricing unpredictability and administrative complexity for borrowers and lenders.
Rural or remote borrowers: even with higher fees and travel reimbursements, appraisal delays may persist if there still aren't enough qualified appraisers nearby, so incentives may not quickly eliminate local bottlenecks.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Directs VA to set and index baseline appraisal fees, pay higher fees and GSA mileage in high‑demand/remote counties, publish county lists, and deliver fiscal and feasibility reports to Congress.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Tammy Duckworth · Last progress March 26, 2026
Sets rules for how the Department of Veterans Affairs pays home-appraisal fees for VA-backed loans: the VA must set baseline appraisal fees within 180 days, publish and update lists of “high‑demand” and “remote” counties, pay higher fees (and GSA mileage) in those counties, and then adjust baseline fees annually using a House Price Index starting January 1, 2027. The VA must also report to Congress within 180 days estimating fiscal effects, impacts on appraiser participation and turnaround times, and provide a public feasibility study on contracting appraisers and aligning VA appraisal processes with FHA procedures.