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Sponsor tells committee VA disability claims processing is taking too long; resolution urges federal action
Summary
Senator Schaeffer presented Senate Resolution 22 at a first hearing, urging the president, the VA secretary and Congress to reduce processing times for veterans' disability claims; he cited average processing times and a backlog of more than 254,000 claims.
Senator Schaeffer presented sponsor testimony on Senate Resolution 22 at the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and Public Safety Committee, urging federal action to reduce the time the Department of Veterans Affairs takes to process disability claims.
"It is simply unacceptable to take four months to process a veteran's disability related claim," Schaeffer said, summarizing the resolution's purpose. He told the committee the VA reported an average processing time of just over 139 days in November 2024 and that the average increased to about 146 days as of January. He added the number of backlog claims was 254,679 as of December.
The resolution asks the president, VA secretary and Congress to take prompt action to reduce processing times and improve accountability and transparency at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Schaeffer said the resolution mirrors prior session language and aims to renew focus on faster decision making for veterans seeking benefits.
Committee members offered brief supportive remarks but did not take formal action on the resolution at the hearing. Schaeffer said he would be available to answer questions and that the resolution is a companion to other veterans' measures previously considered by the General Assembly.
Because the item was presented as a first hearing, no committee vote was recorded during this session.
