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By Aliss Higham
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As the United States marks Veterans Day, three bills have been put forward in Congress this week that could change certain services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The bills, each introduced by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on November 9, cover veteran homelessness, pregnancy and postpartum care and evaluating a training program for service members transitioning out of military service. Each bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives and referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
They come as two other major veterans bills are due to be considered in the House later today.
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No Veteran Left Behind: Housing Retention Act
The No Veteran Left Behind: Housing Retention Act, introduced by Democratic Representative, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, proposes creating a grant program within the VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families program that would fund community organizations that provide services to veterans to help them remain in permanent housing.
Eligible services could include mental health and substance abuse counseling, meals and grocery assistance, transportation help, medication support, home accessibility modifications and eviction protection. Pelosi said the legislation draws on California's Veterans Support to Self-Reliance (VSSR) Pilot program that targeted older and disabled veterans. Research by nonprofit group RAND found it helped improve housing stability and significantly reduced the number of emergency medical visits.
"This legislation helps codify the successful California pilot as a national model that helped fill the gap for San Francisco’s elderly and disabled Veterans—the fastest growing cohort," Pelosi said in a statement. "By meeting Veterans where they are, this transformative legislation would enhance access and stability for Veterans to their health care, transportation and daily supports that they need, earned and deserve."
The bill is cosponsored by fellow Democrats Kathy Castor of Florida and Mark Takano of California.
Supporting Veteran Mothers Act
South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace has introduced the Supporting Veteran Mothers Act, which would require VA medical facilities to maintain sufficient staffing of maternity care coordinators that help pregnant and postpartum veterans.
The proposal would set a benchmark of at least one full-time coordinator for every 75 to 100 patients a year at relevant VA facilities, which would also need to review maternity staffing levels every two years.
"Pregnancy and the postpartum period are some of the most physically and emotionally demanding times in a woman's life," Mace said. "Our legislation puts real staffing requirements in place, demands accountability from the VA and makes sure veteran mothers are not left navigating the system alone."
A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published in May 2026 found the VA Maternity Care Coordinator program had not yet fully established a federal performance management process. The VA agreed with the findings of the report.
Warrior Training Advancement Course
The Warrior Training Advancement Course (WARTAC) trains wounded and transiting service members for certain staff roles at the VA while they are still on active duty. House Bill 10961, introduced by Democratic Representative Troy Carter and Republican Morgan Luttrell, would require the VA secretary to submit a report to Congress on WARTAC within two years of enactment.
If passed, the initial report and subsequent yearly reports would need to include various metrics regarding the program, including how many service members apply for, take part in and complete the program, and answer questions on the programs budget such as how much money it saves the federal government each year and whether other federal agencies could benefit from establishing similar programs.
Veterans Bills Get Closer To Becoming Law
Two closely watched bills in Congress are scheduled for votes in the House of Representatives today: the Major Richard Star Act and the Take Care of American Veterans Act.
The Major Richard Star Act would let certain combat-injured veterans who medically retired before completing 20 years of service receive their full military retirement pay alongside VA disability compensation. Current rules mean some of these veterans have their retirement pay reduced if they receive disability benefits.
The bill has had broad bipartisan backing across Congress but has been held up in the house. A discharge petition reached the 218 signatures needed to force consideration of the bill, with it scheduled to head to a vote today. From there, Representatives will debate the bill before being considered by the Senate.
The Take Care of American Veterans Act, which combines more than 60 proposals on veterans' benefits, caregiver support, healthcare and survivor benefits, is also scheduled for a vote later today.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Tony Phillips.
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