H.R. 980 — Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act of 2025

This section authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to approve non-degree flight training courses (i.e., courses other than those offered by an institution of higher learning for credit toward a standard college degree) as part of vocational rehabilitation and employment (VR&E) programs under 38 U.S.C. ch. 31 for veterans with service-connected disabilities, notwithstanding the general prohibition in 38 U.S.C. 3680A(b). (As background, VR&E provides comprehensive employment services—including training, job placement, and independent living support—to eligible veterans with service-connected disabilities.) The authority applies to programs approved on or after August 1, 2026.

This section establishes outreach requirements for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VRE) program by adding a new subsection to 38 U.S.C. §3104(f) that (1) directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a dedicated telephone number within the department's Education Call Center for inquiries about VRE services, and (2) requires each VA regional office website to include a name, telephone number, and email address for such information. (The VRE program provides evaluation, counseling, training, placement, and related services to veterans with service-connected disabilities to achieve suitable employment or independent living.) The section further amends 38 U.S.C. §3105(c) to require the Secretary to approve or deny a veteran's request for a VRE program extension within 30 days of submission and directs the Secretary to submit annual reports to the congressional Committees on Veterans' Affairs for five years, beginning one year after enactment, detailing the number of extension requests received, approved, and denied in the prior year.