Sponsors (2)
The bill creates a VA-run, privacy-minded platform that helps veterans reconnect and control their data while reducing commercial exploitation, but it requires taxpayer-funded implementation and still carries enforcement and audit-related privacy risks if not tightly managed.
Veterans can reconnect with verified former service members via a VA-operated platform that hides personal contact details, increasing peer support and social connection.
Veterans retain strong control over their visibility and communications on the platform — including opt-in/opt-out choices, the ability to delete data, and the ability to restrict contacts — preserving their privacy and autonomy.
Veterans and VA personnel benefit from mandatory industry-standard cybersecurity protections and Office of Inspector General audits, which reduce the risk of unauthorized access or mass-harvesting of veteran data.
Veterans' privacy and data safety could still be compromised if the VA fails to enforce the statutory prohibitions and penalties effectively, allowing misuse despite legal bans.
Audit logs will record access and metadata (even if not content), which may raise privacy concerns if those logs are accessed improperly or retained long-term.
Taxpayers and the VA will incur costs to design, build, secure, and operate the platform, increasing federal spending and ongoing maintenance obligations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a VA-run, opt-in secure database and messaging platform to let verified veterans reconnect while limiting data, banning commercial use, and requiring security and oversight.
Introduced January 21, 2026 by Chuck Edwards · Last progress January 21, 2026
Creates a secure, privacy-focused database and messaging platform run by the Department of Veterans Affairs that lets military-service-verified veterans reconnect with one another on an opt-in basis. The system stores only limited service-matching information and a veteran-selected display name, blocks commercial use and data brokerage, requires industry-standard cybersecurity, provides opt-in/opt-out controls, and gives oversight and audit access to the VA Inspector General.