Summary
The SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act of 2025 would create a new Office of Falls Prevention within the Veterans Health Administration to address mobility and aging care services. This office would oversee a national education campaign targeting veterans, their families, and healthcare providers to reduce falls and increase awareness of VA benefits related to fall prevention. The VA would also be required to update safety policies for patient handling and mobility across its facilities.
The bill would expand the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities to include the VA, ensuring veterans' needs are considered in broader aging initiatives. Additionally, the VA would be required to assess the feasibility of a pilot program providing home improvements and structural alterations to prevent falls for eligible veterans. Finally, certain veterans would receive mandatory falls risk assessments from licensed physical therapists or occupational therapists to identify and address individual safety concerns.
AI-generated summary
Lifecycle of the Bill
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
Dec 10, 2025
HearingSenateMeeting
Dec 10, 2025 · 21:00
Hearings to examine S.342, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize an individual who is awarded the Purple Heart for service in the Armed Forces to transfer unused Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to a family member, S.668, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.926, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to furnish to certain veterans items used for the secure storage of firearms, S.1116, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the provision of certain additional burial benefits for individuals for whom an urn or plaque is furnished, S.1657, to amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny the claim of a veteran for benefits under the laws administered by such Secretary on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for a medical examination associated with such claim, S.1665, to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure veterans of secrecy oath programs receive the full benefits they have earned, S.1868, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access by veterans to critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics under the Veterans Community Care Program, S.1992, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the efficiency of adjudications and appeals of claims for benefits under laws administered by Secretary of Veterans Affairs, S.2061, to require the Interagency Working Group on Toxic Exposure to conduct research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of descendants of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces, S.2220, to expand presumptions of exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances, S.2264, to improve the emergency management capabilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.2309, to direct a physician or nurse practitioner employed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certify the death of a veteran not later than 48 hours after such physician or nurse practitioner learns of such death, S.2328, to authorize the use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning, S.2333, to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit supplementation of health records of deceased veterans, S.2397, to require implementation by the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs of certain recommendations relating to the provision of health care through community care providers, S.2683, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, S.2737, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to implement a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to certain veterans through community care providers, S.2807, to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the applicability of the authority to reconsider decisions of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Secretary of the Army to inter remains or honor the memory of a person in a national cemetery, S.3033, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish partnerships between medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical facilities in rural areas, S.3119, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs available for members of the Armed Forces, other individuals on active duty, and family members of such individuals on a space-available basis, S.3303, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to establish or enhance a community integration platform for services for veterans, to require the collection from veterans of information related to social determinants of health, an original bill entitled, "Sharing Essential Resources for Veterans Everywhere (SERVE) Act', an original bill entitled, "Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act", and an original bill entitled, "Get Justice Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act".
Summary
The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing on December 11, 2025, to examine 27 bills aimed at improving various veteran benefits and services. The bills covered a broad range of topics including allowing Purple Heart recipients to transfer educational benefits to family members, establishing a VA Office of Falls Prevention, creating a firearm secure storage program for veterans, expanding burial benefits, improving the efficiency of benefits claims processing, ensuring veterans in secrecy oath programs receive earned benefits, expanding access to critical access hospitals, and addressing toxic exposure research for descendants of exposed service members. The hearing also addressed emergency management capabilities at the VA, death certification procedures, educational assistance for examinations, veteran fraud prevention, hyperbaric oxygen therapy access, rural veteran partnerships, temporary lodging for service members, and community integration platforms for veteran services. No witnesses were listed for this hearing, which examined legislation addressing multiple aspects of veteran healthcare, education, burial, and support services. The bills represent efforts to streamline VA operations, expand access to care in underserved areas, and provide additional benefits to veterans and their families. A hearing does not guarantee that any of these bills will advance to a vote or become law; the committee will need to determine which bills, if any, merit further consideration and action.
Video
Watch videoCommittee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
Dec 10, 2025
HearingSenateMeeting
Dec 10, 2025 · 21:00
Hearings to examine S.342, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize an individual who is awarded the Purple Heart for service in the Armed Forces to transfer unused Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to a family member, S.668, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.926, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to furnish to certain veterans items used for the secure storage of firearms, S.1116, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the provision of certain additional burial benefits for individuals for whom an urn or plaque is furnished, S.1657, to amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny the claim of a veteran for benefits under the laws administered by such Secretary on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for a medical examination associated with such claim, S.1665, to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure veterans of secrecy oath programs receive the full benefits they have earned, S.1868, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access by veterans to critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics under the Veterans Community Care Program, S.1992, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the efficiency of adjudications and appeals of claims for benefits under laws administered by Secretary of Veterans Affairs, S.2061, to require the Interagency Working Group on Toxic Exposure to conduct research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of descendants of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces, S.2220, to expand presumptions of exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances, S.2264, to improve the emergency management capabilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.2309, to direct a physician or nurse practitioner employed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certify the death of a veteran not later than 48 hours after such physician or nurse practitioner learns of such death, S.2328, to authorize the use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning, S.2333, to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit supplementation of health records of deceased veterans, S.2397, to require implementation by the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs of certain recommendations relating to the provision of health care through community care providers, S.2683, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, S.2737, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to implement a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to certain veterans through community care providers, S.2807, to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the applicability of the authority to reconsider decisions of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Secretary of the Army to inter remains or honor the memory of a person in a national cemetery, S.3033, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish partnerships between medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical facilities in rural areas, S.3119, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs available for members of the Armed Forces, other individuals on active duty, and family members of such individuals on a space-available basis, S.3303, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to establish or enhance a community integration platform for services for veterans, to require the collection from veterans of information related to social determinants of health, an original bill entitled, "Sharing Essential Resources for Veterans Everywhere (SERVE) Act', an original bill entitled, "Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act", and an original bill entitled, "Get Justice Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act".
Summary
The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing on December 11, 2025, to examine 27 bills aimed at improving various veteran benefits and services. The bills covered a broad range of topics including allowing Purple Heart recipients to transfer educational benefits to family members, establishing a VA Office of Falls Prevention, creating a firearm secure storage program for veterans, expanding burial benefits, improving the efficiency of benefits claims processing, ensuring veterans in secrecy oath programs receive earned benefits, expanding access to critical access hospitals, and addressing toxic exposure research for descendants of exposed service members. The hearing also addressed emergency management capabilities at the VA, death certification procedures, educational assistance for examinations, veteran fraud prevention, hyperbaric oxygen therapy access, rural veteran partnerships, temporary lodging for service members, and community integration platforms for veteran services. No witnesses were listed for this hearing, which examined legislation addressing multiple aspects of veteran healthcare, education, burial, and support services. The bills represent efforts to streamline VA operations, expand access to care in underserved areas, and provide additional benefits to veterans and their families. A hearing does not guarantee that any of these bills will advance to a vote or become law; the committee will need to determine which bills, if any, merit further consideration and action.
Video
Watch videoCongress
119th Congress
Introduced
Feb 20, 2025
