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Pub. L. 119-71 · H.R. 1823 · 119th Congress

VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act

Signed into law Jan 20, 2026 · Armed Forces and National Security

Read the law Congress.gov record

What this law does

  • Requires the Government Accountability Office to review and report on the causes of the Veterans Benefits Administration funding shortfall for FY2024.
  • Requires the same review of the expected Veterans Health Administration funding shortfall for FY2025.
  • Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to send the report to Congress.
  • Requires follow-up reviews of Veterans Affairs funding for each of the next five fiscal years.
1 subject in this law: Veterans Affairs budget oversight

Plain-language list by Voting On, based only on the official summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the bill's titles. Read the official summary.

How it became law

  1. IntroducedMar 4, 2025 · House
  2. 76 daysPassed HouseMay 19, 2025
  3. 213 daysPassed SenateDec 18, 2025
  4. 25 daysPresented to the PresidentJan 12, 2026
  5. 8 daysSigned into lawJan 20, 2026
322days, introduction to signature
76days to pass the House
213more days to pass the Senate
Nowent back to a chamber after changes
Novetoed

Official summary

VA Budget Shortfall Accountability Act

This act requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review and report on the circumstances and causes of the shortfall in funding of the Veterans Benefits Administration for FY2024 and the expected shortfall in funding of the Veterans Health Administration in FY2025. The Department of Veterans Affairs must submit such GAO report to Congress. For each of the five fiscal years following the date of enactment of this act, GAO must conduct subsequent reviews and reports regarding the funding of the VA.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Jan 20, 2026).

Who wrote it

Sponsor: Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans. 1 signed on the day it was introduced.

Show all cosponsors
CosponsorSigned on
Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]Mar 4, 2025Original cosponsor

Recorded votes

No recorded roll-call votes. It passed by voice vote or unanimous consent, where individual votes are not recorded.

What was added

Amendments adopted (0)

No floor amendments were adopted. Any changes were made in committee or in a later version of the bill.

Sections in the final law that were not in the first version (Introduced in House) (2)

  • 1. Short title
  • 2. Funding shortfalls in certain administrations of the Department of Veterans Affairs: reviews; reports

What was removed

Sections in the first version (Introduced in House) that did not make it into the law (1)

  • 1. Funding shortfalls in certain administrations of the Department of Veterans Affairs: review; report

Compared by section heading between the Introduced in House text (Mar 4, 2025) and the Enrolled Bill text, both from GovInfo. Wording changes inside a section that kept its heading are not shown here; see the amendments and the text versions.

Proposed but not adopted

No amendments were voted down or withdrawn.

Full action history

Show all 28 official actions
Jan 20, 2026Signed by President.
Jan 20, 2026Signed by President.
Jan 20, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-71.
Jan 20, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-71.
Jan 12, 2026Presented to President.
Jan 12, 2026Presented to President.
Dec 19, 2025Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Dec 18, 2025Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Dec 18, 2025Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Dec 18, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Dec 18, 2025Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8895)
May 20, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
May 19, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
May 19, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2129)
May 19, 2025On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2129)
May 19, 2025DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1823.
May 19, 2025Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2129-2130)
May 19, 2025Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
May 17, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-101.
May 17, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-101.
May 17, 2025Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 74.
May 6, 2025Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Mar 25, 2025Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Mar 25, 2025Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Mar 10, 2025Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Mar 4, 2025Introduced in House
Mar 4, 2025Introduced in House
Mar 4, 2025Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Sources: Congress.gov (bill record, sponsors, actions, amendments, CRS summary) and GovInfo (official text). Days are calendar days.