HR7952Referred to Committee

Streamline Upgrades for Veterans Act

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2026-03-16
Introduced
2
Cosponsors
HR
Type

Sponsor

James R. Walkinshaw
James R. Walkinshaw
Democrat · VA · Representative
Votes with party: 98.7% (308 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/W000831

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (2)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

2026-03-16

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

Plain-English Summary

The bill would prevent the military from reducing the number of staff working at service review agencies that handle discharge appeals, and would require the Defense Department to report on how it considers cases where veterans claim their discharge was unfair due to PTSD or traumatic brain injury. The Veterans Affairs Department would then have to post this report online so the public can see how the military handles these appeals. This affects military personnel and veterans seeking to challenge their discharges based on service-related injuries.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

Subjects

Armed Forces and National Security

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7952 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7952 To amend title 10, United States Code, to prohibit a reduction in the number of personnel assigned to duty with a service review agency, to direct the Secretary of Defense to submit a report regarding consideration of reviews and appeals of discharges or dismissals, based on matters relating to post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to post a summary of such report online, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 16, 2026 Mr. Walkinshaw (for himself and Mr. Moylan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 10, United States Code, to prohibit a reduction in the number of personnel assigned to duty with a service review agency, to direct the Secretary of Defense to submit a report regarding consideration of reviews and appeals of discharges or dismissals, based on matters relating to post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to post a summary of such report online, and for other purposes. 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 ``Streamline Upgrades for Veterans Act''. SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO DUTY WITH A SERVICE REVIEW AGENCY. Section 1559(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking ``Before December 31, 2025'' and inserting ``During the period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Streamline Upgrades for Veterans Act and ending on December 31, 2030''. SEC. 3. REPORT ON TIME REQUIRED FOR A BOARD TO CONSIDER A REVIEW OF A DISCHARGE OR DISMISSAL FROM THE ARMED FORCES BASED ON MATTERS RELATING TO POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. (a) Report Required.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report regarding the periods required for a board established under section 1552 or 1553 of title 10, United States Code, to make a determination in a case involving liberal consideration. (2) Elements.--The report under paragraph (1) shall include the following: (A) An analysis of the time of such periods, disaggregated by military department. (B) An explanation of the differences between such periods, disaggregated by military department. (C) The number of personnel assigned to review, process, and consider such cases. (D) Recommendations of the Secretary of Defense, which the Secretary may develop in consultation with Federal entities that serve members of the Armed Forces or veterans, to expedite the consideration of such cases. (3) Form.--The report shall be submitted in unclassified form. (4) Publication.--The executive summary of the report shall be published on a publicly accessible website of-- (A) the Department of Defense; and (B) the Department of Veterans Affairs. (b) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after submitting the report under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of such report. (c) Definitions.--In this section: (1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means-- (A) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; (B) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
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(C) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives; and (D) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate. (2) The term ``liberal consideration'' is used as such term is used in section 1552(h) and 1553(d) of title 10, United States Code. <all>