H.R. 6583 — VA Research Reform Act of 2025

This section establishes the VA Centralized Research Data System to collect and manage information on all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) research activities conducted under medical research programs authorized by section 7303 of title 38, United States Code (i.e., biomedical, clinical, mental health, health services, and policy research). The system requires, for each project, (1) a summary of objectives, scope, and design; (2) VA and non-VA funding details; (3) principal investigator and key staff; (4) approval statuses and dates; (5) progress updates including initiation, milestones, and completion dates; and (6) results such as findings, publications, patents, and clinical or policy impacts. The system must facilitate oversight, avoid duplication, support translation to clinical practice, protect personally identifiable information per applicable laws, integrate with VA's electronic health record, and be implemented via regulations or guidance within 180 days of enactment. This section further establishes a tiered system for ethical and scientific review of VA research proposals commensurate with risk to human or animal subjects and research significance, including (1) expedited or abbreviated review for minimal-risk or small-scope/short-duration projects; (2) full review for greater-than-minimal-risk, invasive, or high-impact projects (e.g., large clinical trials); and (3) optional intermediate review levels. It requires Department-wide standardized timelines for review completion, uniform application across Veterans Health Administration facilities, and authority for the Under Secretary for Health—via the Chief Research and Development Officer—to intervene in delayed reviews by assuming responsibility or reassigning to another institutional review board.