H.R. 5420 — VA Extenders Act of 2025

This section extends the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program—under which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awards grants to eligible private entities to provide or coordinate suicide prevention services for veterans at risk of suicide and their family members and caregivers—by (1) revising the sunset date in subsection (j) to September 30, 2026 (from the date that is three years after the date on which the first grant is awarded under the program); and (2) extending the date in subsection (p) to September 30, 2026 (from 2025).

This section extends the requirement for quarterly briefings by the Department of Veterans Affairs on its administration of authorities relating to determinations of presumptions of service connection based on toxic exposure through December 31, 2026 (from the two-year period beginning on the date of enactment of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022). (The PACT Act established presumptions of service connection for certain disabilities linked to veterans' toxic exposures, such as burn pits.)

This section extends, from five years to six years, the temporary clarification of licensure requirements (i.e., allowing physicians licensed in any state to conduct exams regardless of exam location) for contractor medical professionals performing medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs under the pilot program for use of contract physicians to conduct disability examinations.

This section extends Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) authority for treatment and rehabilitation services for seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans through September 30, 2026 (from September 30, 2025), by (1) extending general treatment authority and (2) extending authority for additional services at certain locations.

This section revises the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Partial Claim Program (under 38 U.S.C. §3737), which provides loss mitigation for delinquent VA-guaranteed home loans by allowing VA to pay servicers a lump sum (up to 30% of the loan balance) to cure arrearages and subordinate the claim to the first lien, as follows: (1) clarifies that partial claims under §3720(h) may be used with loan purchases under §3732(a)(2) if consistent with §3732(d); (2) in program administration (§3737(b)-(c)), revises the definition of unpaid indebtedness (§3737(b)(2)); extends from 120 days to 180 days the servicer deadline for submitting a partial claim (§3737(c)(2)(B)(ii)); and specifies that partial claim payments (§3737(c)(3)) do not alter the loan guaranty (§3703), are treated as advances in liquidation sales, and are not reimbursable under the guaranty or added to acquisition costs (Thus, this preserves VA's guaranty liability and recovery options.); (3) requires loan holders to provide loan servicing documents (§3737(d)(1)); (4) in default and foreclosure provisions (§3737(e)), holds borrowers liable to VA for losses on partial claim defaults (recoverable as other debts due the United States), bars restoration of housing loan entitlement (§3702(b)) until repaid, authorizes VA to charge administrative costs, fees, and interest (similar to §5315), and provides that non-judicial foreclosure sales by loan holders (per state law) discharge VA's partial claim interest notwithstanding 28 U.S.C. §2410; and (5) authorizes VA to issue administrative guidance on the program and related loss mitigation options (§3732(d)) prior to regulations (§3737(h)).

This section requires the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs (1) annual reports, beginning one year after enactment and continuing until termination of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Partial Claim Program (under 38 U.S.C. §3737(i.e., a loss mitigation option under which VA advances funds to loan servicers to cure delinquencies on VA-guaranteed home loans, with the advance subordinated to and increasing the loan balance), that include quarterly data disaggregated by (A) partial claims filed and approved, and redefault and foreclosure rates; (B) comparisons to other VA loss mitigation options; (C) VA housing loans insured, guaranteed, or made under 38 U.S.C. ch. 37; (D) denied applications under that chapter; (E) refinances under 38 U.S.C. §§3710(a)(8) or 3712; and (F) veterans with payments 60 or 90 days late; and (2) one year prior to program termination, a report assessing the program's benefits and challenges. The assessment considers borrower characteristics and loan performance relative to other options; information used in option selection; taxpayer costs; administration relative to the COVID-19 Veterans Assistance Partial Claim Payment program; lessons learned and applied from that program; data collection and program adjustments; and comparisons to partial claim programs of other federal housing agencies (including volumes, borrower outcomes, and costs).

This section extends Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) authority for the vendee loan program—under which VA makes direct loans to finance purchasers' acquisition of VA-repossessed properties—through September 30, 2026 (from September 30, 2025).