Why it Matters

The House Veterans' Affairs Committee is set to take up one of the most sweeping VA reform packages in recent memory, with more than 20 bills and discussion drafts on the table for its May 20 veterans benefits hearing. Roughly 9 million veterans are enrolled in VA healthcare programs. The legislation arrives as the Department of Veterans Affairs simultaneously restructures its regional health networks, accelerates a massive electronic health records rollout, and absorbs workforce cuts driven by the Department of Government Efficiency, all without comprehensive congressional authorization.

A Department in Flux

The VA reform hearing 2026 is taking shape against a backdrop of rapid, executive-driven change at the department. The VA announced what has been described as its largest reorganization in decades, proposing to consolidate the current 23 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) into a smaller number of regional networks while pruning top-level leadership. The department briefed Congress on the reorganization and said precise personnel changes would be announced in early 2026 and phased in over 18 to 24 months.

At the same time, DOGE-driven contract terminations have hit VA programs that critics say supported both efficiency and clinical services. The Project on Government Oversight found that terminated contracts included those for critical medical services. The VA is also reported to be planning cuts of approximately 1,000 IT positions and around 2,000 positions from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). VA Secretary Doug Collins has publicly acknowledged a planned 4 percent reduction in force for 2025 and 5 percent in 2026.

Separately, the VA is accelerating deployment of its Federal Electronic Health Record system to 164 medical centers and associated clinics beginning in 2026, a program that has faced years of congressional scrutiny over cost overruns and implementation problems.

What the Bills Would Do

The veterans legislation May 2026 package spans virtually every major VA function.

H.R. 6733, the VISN Reform Act, sponsored by committee Chair Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), would legislatively codify the VISN consolidation by reducing the networks to eight geographically defined regions, capping each headquarters at 50 fulltime staff, and requiring those offices to be located at VA medical centers. The bill would give Congress statutory authority over a restructuring the VA has already begun pursuing on its own.

H.R. 2722, the VA Funding and Workforce Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY), would prohibit the VA from impounding, transferring, or reprogramming federal funds without new legislation and would exempt the department from any presidential hiring freeze through January 2029. It would also require the reinstatement of VA employees fired since January 20, 2025.

H.R. 6549, the VA Contracting and Procurement Act, sponsored by Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), would bar the VA from entering contracts exceeding $50 million without specific congressional authorization, providing a direct check on the department's procurement authority amid ongoing contract terminations.

H.R. 2303, the Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney Retention and Backlog Reduction Act, sponsored by Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), would allow non-supervisory attorneys at the Board to be promoted to the GS-15 pay grade to improve retention and help reduce the appeals backlog. The VA has reported progress in reducing its claims backlog, but planned VBA staffing cuts have raised concerns that gains could be reversed.

H.R. 6580, the VA National Formulary Act, sponsored by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), would standardize the list of approved drugs across VA facilities and establish a Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee to make formulary decisions within 120 days based on clinical evidence and cost-effectiveness.

H.R. 3869, the Every Veteran Housed Act, sponsored by Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR), would expand who qualifies for VA homelessness assistance by removing service length restrictions. The VA's fiscal year 2026 budget requests $1.1 billion for homelessness programs, including the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program (HUD-VASH), but the concurrent workforce reductions have drawn scrutiny over whether service delivery can be sustained.

H.R. 210, the Dental Care for Veterans Act, sponsored by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA), would phase in dental care eligibility for all veterans enrolled in the VA health care system over four years, a significant expansion from the current narrow eligibility criteria.

Two discussion drafts would establish advisory committees on toxic exposure, a direct follow-on to the 2022 PACT Act that expanded VA benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits. Advocates have pressed for independent oversight of PACT Act implementation, which the drafts would provide. A separate discussion draft addresses EHR modernization as the VA accelerates its 2026 deployment schedule.

The Committee

Of the bills with identified sponsors, 11 are sponsored by committee members, reflecting the depth of committee involvement in drafting the legislation.

The VA reform package will be considered by the full House Veterans' Affairs Committee, chaired by Bost with Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) serving as ranking member. The hearing is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. on May 20 in 360 Cannon House Office Building.

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