H.R. 5994: Every Veteran Counts Act of 2025

The Every Veteran Counts Act of 2025 aims to enhance the collection and dissemination of demographic data related to veterans in the United States. The key features of the bill include the following:

Data Collection and Maintenance

The bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to collect demographic data from various sources, including the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, the Bureau of the Census, and the Social Security Administration. The data to be collected includes:

• Sex
• Gender identity (including male, female, transgender, nonbinary, and others)
• Age
• Educational level
• Race and ethnicity
• Sexual orientation
• Household makeup (marital status, number of dependents)
• Gross income and sources of income
• Housing status (renter, homeowner, or residing with others)
• Employment status (employed, seeking employment, or self-employed)
• Service history in the Armed Forces
• Enrollment in the patient enrollment system
• Disability rating information
• Location (rural or urban, access to broadband)
• Any other relevant information as determined by the Secretary

Data Protection and Accessibility

The collected data will be anonymized to protect sensitive personal information and shall be presented in a machine-readable format. A publicly accessible website will be maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide access to this database, which will be updated at least once a year.

Reporting Requirements

Within one year of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must submit a report to Congress detailing:

• Progress in implementing the data collection strategy
• Challenges faced and recommendations for further improvements
• Metrics related to the effective use of data for policymaking and service delivery
• Information sharing agreements with other federal entities
• Current risk assessments regarding data security

Implementation Timeline

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must implement the new data collection and reporting requirements no later than 180 days after the bill is enacted.

Objective of the Act

The overarching goal of the Every Veteran Counts Act is to enable better policymaking and service delivery by providing more comprehensive, current, and accurate demographic insights into the veteran population.

Relevant Companies

None found.