S. 1657Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Review Every Veteran’s Claim Act of 2025

Sponsored by Jim BanksSen. Jim Banks (R-IN)
Introduced May 7, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 12:44 AM UTC

The Review Every Veteran’s Claim Act of 2025 changes the law so that the VA Secretary cannot reject a veteran’s benefit claim just because the veteran missed a required medical exam. It updates the wording in the statutes that govern VA benefit claims and adds a protection that a missed exam alone cannot be the reason for denial. The bill applies to all veterans filing claims for benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Key Provisions

  • Amends the definition in 38 U.S.C. § 5103A to change the heading from “Compensation Claims” to “Claims for Benefits.”
  • Rewrites language so that a medical exam or opinion is required for a claim, rather than treating the exam as a condition for denial.
  • Adds a new rule that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs cannot deny a veteran’s benefit claim solely because the veteran did not appear for a VA‑provided medical examination.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions
SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

March 18, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 7, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

May 7, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-247.

December 10, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

March 18, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 7, 2025

II

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1657

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 7, 2025

Mr. Banks (for himself and Mr. King) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny the claim of a veteran for benefits under the laws administered by such Secretary on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for a medical examination associated with such claim, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Review Every Veteran’s Claim Act of 2025.

2.

Prohibition on denial of claims for benefits under laws administered by Secretary of Veterans Affairs on sole basis that veteran failed to appear for certain medical examination

Subsection (d) of section 5103A of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in the heading, by striking compensation claims and inserting claims for benefits;

(2)

in paragraph (2), by striking treat an examination or opinion as being necessary to make a decision on a claim for purposes of and inserting provide for a medical examination or obtain a medical opinion under; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(3)

If a veteran fails to appear for a medical examination provided by the Secretary in conjunction with a claim for a benefit under a law administered by the Secretary, the Secretary may not deny such claim on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for such medical examination.

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