House of Representatives Building and the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C. (Photo: Ron Cogswell)
In a push to improve services for Veterans, two U.S. House lawmakers have introduced a bill to permanently establish the Veterans Experience Office, VEO, within the VA, according to a report by Stars and Stripes. The VEO office, initially founded in 2015, has played a key role in gathering feedback from Veterans, helping the VA identify areas for improvement, and enhancing trust between Veterans and the agency.
The bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) and Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), is seen as a crucial move to ensure the VA continues to address Veterans’ needs through their direct input. Since its establishment, the VEO has significantly expanded its reach, including efforts to connect with Women Veterans and the launch of a mobile app that provides Veterans with key information about VA services. The office’s initiatives have helped increase trust in the VA by 25%, according to agency reports. One of its early successes came in 2018 when the VEO overhauled the VA website in response to complaints about its usability.
The VEO is also responsible for measuring the impact of key legislative actions, such as the PACT Act. The act, passed in 2022, extended access to health care and disability benefits for Veterans exposed to toxic substances during military service. The VEO has been tasked with ensuring that the implementation of this law successfully provides the necessary care and benefits to Veterans.
The bill introduced by Budzinski and Brownley directs the VEO to continue reporting data to Congress, with a particular focus on the 1-800-MyVA411 hotline, a service designed to offer Veterans information on benefits and connect them with experts. Additionally, the legislation requires the Government Accountability Office to review the hotline’s effectiveness.
Permanently establishing the VEO would allow the VA to meet its mission of delivering “the highest quality customer experience” when providing care and benefits to Veterans. Stars and Stripes mentions that trust in the VA has steadily improved, with recent data showing that 80% of Veterans feel confident in the agency’s ability to fulfill its commitments, up from 55% before the VEO’s creation. The office’s approach to improving Veterans’ experiences revolves around three core principles: ease of service, effectiveness, and emotional connection. These principles shape the VA’s efforts to improve its services based on direct feedback from Veterans, family members, caregivers, and survivors.
With its continuous efforts to gather real-time feedback through digital channels, the VEO allows Veterans to offer compliments, voice concerns, and provide suggestions. These insights, gathered from Veterans at various points of service—from applying for benefits to receiving medical care—inform both immediate service recovery efforts and long-term improvements.
By making the VEO a permanent fixture within the VA, the bill seeks to ensure that Veterans’ voices continue to be heard and that their feedback shapes the future of the services they rely on.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.