HR 3738 United States House · 118th Congress

Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration Act

HR 3738 establishes a new Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs to consolidate and manage key veteran services including vocational rehabilitation, educational assistance, housing loans, and verification of veteran-owned businesses. It creates a new Under Secretary position specifically for this administration and requires annual reports to Congress on program metrics like claim processing times, outcomes, and staffing levels. The new administration will take effect on October 1, 2024, with specific staffing limits of 34,228 full-time equivalent employees for fiscal year 2024 and 35,417 for 2025. This structure aims to streamline services for veterans while improving program management within the VA.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics: Veteran Education Veteran Employment Veteran Healthcare

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2023

Committee Review

May 2024

House Passage

Apr 2024

Senate Passage

President

Introduced May 25, 2023 Last action May 1, 2024

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House → Engrossed in House · 4 edits · Apr 30, 2024

MODERATE

The Engrossed version delays the entire implementation timeline by one year (from October 2024 to October 2025), removes veteran-owned small business verification from the new Administration's responsibilities, adds a short title, and introduces a new provision extending certain VA housing loan fee rates by approximately six weeks. The most substantive policy change is the removal of the veteran-owned business database function from the new agency's scope.

Scope change

The new Administration's scope narrowed by removing veteran-owned small business verification and database administration from its assigned functions. The overall implementation was pushed back one year across all dates.

TIMELINE

All effective dates shifted one year later: the new Administration takes effect October 1, 2025 instead of October 1, 2024; FTE caps now apply to FY2025 and FY2026 instead of FY2024 and FY2025; certification deadline moved from April-September 2024 to April-September 2025.

SCOPE

The function of verifying small businesses owned and controlled by veterans (including administering the veteran-owned business database under section 8127(f)) was removed from the list of programs the new Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration would oversee. This means that responsibility stays with its current home rather than transferring to the new agency.

FISCAL

New Section 5 extends the expiration date for certain VA housing loan fees in section 3729(b)(2) from November 15, 2031 to December 27, 2031, giving borrowers about six additional weeks at the current fee rate before a scheduled change takes effect.

TECHNICAL

A short title was added: 'Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration Act.' Sections were renumbered (old Section 1 became Section 2, etc.) and cross-references were updated accordingly.

Floor votes · House Apr 30, 2024

How they voted

403–10

Passed · 15 other

Total votes 428

Apr 30, 2024

D Democratic212

204 Yea 8

96% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican215

198 Yea 10 Nay 7

92% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 1, 2024

Committee

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

upper

Apr 30, 2024

Introduced

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 403 - 10 (Roll no. 159). (text: 04/29/2024 CR H2685-2686)

lower

Apr 30, 2024

Lower · Passed

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 403 - 10 (Roll no. 159). (text: 04/29/2024 CR H2685-2686)

lower

Apr 29, 2024

Introduced

Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

lower

Jan 29, 2024

Lower · Passed

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 118-360.

lower

Dec 5, 2023

Lower · Passed

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Nov 15, 2023

Lower · Passed

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

lower

Nov 15, 2023

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

lower

Nov 2, 2023

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee Hearings Held

lower

Jul 10, 2023

Committee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

lower

May 25, 2023

Committee

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

lower

May 25, 2023

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors