S. 2853 — VA Extenders Act of 2025

This section extends the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program through September 30, 2026 (from three years after the date on which the first grant is awarded under the program). The program provides grants to eligible entities for suicide prevention services for veterans at risk of suicide and their families or caregivers.

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 (i.e., under the PACT Act, which expands VA disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxins such as burn pits) through December 31, 2026 (from two years after enactment of the PACT Act).

This section extends the temporary clarification of licensure requirements for contractor medical professionals to perform medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations to six years (from five years). (The pilot program authorizes VA to contract with physicians and other professionals to conduct disability exams supporting veterans' benefits claims.)

This section extends through September 30, 2026 (from September 30, 2025), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) authority (1) for general treatment and rehabilitation of seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans under 38 U.S.C. 2031(b); and (2) for additional services for homeless veterans at certain locations under 38 U.S.C. 2033(d). (As background, these authorities enable VA per diem payments to service providers for such care.)

This section revises the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) partial claim program under 38 U.S.C. §3737 for VA-guaranteed home loans (i.e., program under which VA advances funds to servicers to cure delinquencies, with borrowers repaying VA over the remaining loan term). Specifically, it (1) clarifies that partial claims under §3720(h) may be used with loan purchases under §3732(a)(2) only if consistent with §3732(d); (2) revises program administration by changing the definition of unpaid indebtedness in §3737(b)(2), extending the servicer notification period to 180 days (from 120 days) in §3737(c)(2)(B)(ii), and specifying in §3737(c)(3) that partial claim payments do not alter guaranty calculations under §3703, are treated as advances in liquidations, and do not increase VA acquisition costs or guaranty claims; (3) requires loan holders to provide loan documents and servicing information under §3737(d)(1); (4) strengthens default consequences under §3737(e) by holding borrowers liable to VA for losses (recoverable as debts due the United States, with no restoration of loan entitlement until repaid), authorizing VA to charge administrative costs, fees, and interest similar to §5315, and providing that non-judicial foreclosure sales by loan holders under 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 under §3732(d) prior to regulations under §3737(h).

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to submit reports to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Partial Claim Program (i.e., a loss-mitigation option under VA home loan guaranty programs, carried out pursuant to 38 U.S.C. §3737, under which servicers advance funds to cure borrower delinquencies and VA reimburses those claims). Specifically, the Comptroller General must submit (1) annual reports, beginning one year after enactment of this Act and continuing every year thereafter until the program's termination, that include quarterly data on program performance (e.g., partial claims filed and approved, redefault and foreclosure rates), comparisons to other VA loss-mitigation options, and VA housing loan statistics (e.g., loans insured/guaranteed/made under 38 U.S.C. ch. 37, applications denied, Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans under 38 U.S.C. §§3710(a)(8) and 3712, and mortgages 60 or 90 days delinquent); and (2) one year before program termination, a report assessing the program's benefits and challenges, considering factors such as borrower characteristics, loan performance after loss mitigation, taxpayer costs relative to alternatives, lessons from the COVID-19 Veterans Assistance Partial Claim Payment program, and comparisons to partial claim programs of other federal housing agencies.

This section extends VA authority to make vendee loans—financing provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to purchasers of VA-acquired foreclosed properties—through September 30, 2026 (from September 30, 2025).