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To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expedite the processing of claims for disability compensation by veterans affected by major disasters.
Summary
- Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish regulations for priority processing of disability compensation claims for veterans affected by major disasters declared by the President.
- Adds veterans affected by major disasters to the existing list of categories eligible for priority claims processing, which includes veterans with extreme financial hardship, homelessness, terminal illness, and participants in the Fully Developed Claim program.
- Requires the VA to establish flexible evidence requirements for veterans unable to meet ordinary requirements due to a major disaster.
- Requires the VA to establish flexible filing deadlines for disability claims filed by veterans affected by a major disaster.
- Requires the VA to post notice on its website within 60 days identifying all categories of veterans eligible for priority claims processing.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
2 cosponsors
- Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] (R-LA)
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Jimmy Panetta’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $19,200
- NFP $15,500
- APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT $13,500
- ROCKET CENTRAL $12,000
- FOLKTALE WINERY $7,760
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Jimmy Panetta → · Outside spending →
Actions (6)
- Jun 30, 2026 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote. · house
- Jun 30, 2026 Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- Jun 25, 2026 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
- Jan 5, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. · house
- Dec 10, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · house
- Dec 10, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2025
Mr. Panetta (for himself, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, and Mr. Lieu) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expedite the processing of claims for disability compensation by veterans affected by major disasters.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Priority Response for Veterans Impacted by Disasters and Emergencies Act” or the “PROVIDE Act”.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Department of Veterans Affairs sets forth criteria for priority processing of veterans’ disability claims by the Department.
(2) Such criteria include veterans affected by extreme financial hardship, homelessness, terminal illness, and participants in the Department’s Fully Developed Claim program.
(3) Currently there is no process in place to prioritize the disability claims of veterans affected by major disasters such as fires and floods.
(4) Priority claims processing for veterans affected by major disasters will significantly help such veterans begin rebuilding their lives.
SEC. 3. PRIORITY CLAIMS PROCESSING IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR DISASTER.
(a) In General.—The Secretary shall prescribe regulations setting forth criteria for priority processing of a claim for compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code. Individuals whose claim shall be eligible for such priority processing shall include—
(1) veterans affected by extreme financial hardship;
(2) veterans affected by homelessness;
(3) veterans diagnosed with a terminal illness;
(4) participants in the Department of Veterans Affairs Fully Developed Claim program; and
(5) veterans who live in an area for which the President has declared a major disaster under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170).
(b) Special Considerations for Claims Processing in the Event of a Major Disaster.—The Secretary shall prescribe additional regulations relating only to subsection (a)(5). Such additional regulations include—
(1) establishing flexible evidence requirements for veterans unable to meet the ordinary evidence requirements for such a claim due to a major disaster; and
(2) establishing a flexible filing deadline for such a claim.
(c) Notice to Veterans of Eligibility for Priority Claims Processing.—Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall post a permanent notice to veterans on the Department of Veterans Affairs website of the categories of eligibility for priority processing of such claims, including the changes to such categories made pursuant to subsection (a). <all>
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