HR6564-119

What This Bill Does

The Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act renames and expands VA structures that currently focus on minority veterans so they also cover historically underserved veterans. It changes the Center for Minority Veterans and Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to include historically underserved veterans, replaces references to minority veterans with covered veterans, and broadens definitions. The bill adds representatives from HUD, Education, the Attorney General, SBA, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy to the advisory committee. Committee duties expand to advising VA on representation in policy, regulations, and legislative affairs; benefits and services relating to health care, suicide prevention, and homelessness; outreach research; State and local organization issues; guidance for nonprofit and faith-based organizations; help receiving entitled benefits; feedback methods through stakeholder forums, social media, and virtual town halls; outreach and engagement; commemoration; and journey mapping, human-centered design, and social determinants of wellness. VA must conduct biennial reviews to identify disparities in receipt of benefits and report recommendations to veterans committees within 120 days after each review. Section 3 requires VA within 30 days to permanently reinstate the Office of Equity Assurance in the Veterans Benefits Administration, reinstate employees terminated after January 20, 2025, protect positions from reduction in force, brief Congress on implementation of GAO-23-106097 recommendations, and provide biannual briefings on the office data, research, and analysis.

Who Benefits and How

Minority veterans benefit because existing VA structures keep their focus while expanding to additional underserved groups. Historically underserved veterans benefit from advisory duties covering health care, suicide prevention, homelessness, benefits access, outreach, feedback, and disparity reviews. Nonprofit and faith-based organizations serving covered veterans benefit from VA guidance. Veterans Benefits Administration equity researchers benefit from restored Office of Equity Assurance authority and employment protections. Congressional veterans committees benefit from disparity reports and biannual briefings.

Who Bears the Burden and How

VA center staff and advisory committee members must update their scope, membership, outreach, guidance, review, and reporting work. VA benefits administrators must conduct biennial disparity reviews and report within 120 days after review completion. The Veterans Benefits Administration must reinstate the Office of Equity Assurance, reinstate terminated employees, protect positions from reduction in force, and brief Congress. HUD, Education, Justice, SBA, and ONDCP representatives must participate in advisory work. Federal taxpayers bear administrative costs for expanded staffing, analysis, and briefings.

Key Provisions

• Expands the Center for Minority Veterans and Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to include historically underserved veterans.
• Adds HUD, Education, Justice, SBA, and ONDCP representatives to the advisory committee.
• Requires advisory duties on benefits, health care, suicide prevention, homelessness, outreach, guidance, feedback, commemoration, and life-cycle analysis.
• Requires VA biennial disparity reviews and 120-day reports to veterans committees.
• Requires permanent reinstatement of the Veterans Benefits Administration Office of Equity Assurance within 30 days.
• Requires reinstatement of terminated office employees, protection from reduction in force, GAO-recommendation briefing, and biannual data briefings.