Mike Flood
12/16/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/17/2025 09:29
Congressman Flood Spearheads VA Transparency Bill As Part of Broader VA Reauthorization Push
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Mike Flood introduced H.R.6740, the "VA TRUST Act." The bill enhances transparency and accountability of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Senior Executive Service (SES) employees by requiring the VA to disclose to Congress the accounts from which awards and bonuses are paid to SES employees as well as their annual salaries- promoting greater oversight and fiscal responsibility within the Department to ensure appropriated funds are not being used outside of the context that Congress intended.
"The VA TRUST Act is a needed step in ensuring the VA remains focused on its core mission of serving our nation's veterans," said Congressman Flood. "Building on my efforts last Congress to bring more transparency and common sense to the pay and bonuses of the VA's Senior Executive Service employees, the VA TRUST Act will help the Department better prioritize its mission to effectively serve veterans. I'm hopeful to see these reforms advance through the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs as part of its broader effort to reauthorize several key programs within the VA for the first time in decades."
Additionally, the "VA TRUST Act" promotes greater efficiency in line with the VA's commitment to serving our veterans first. It does so by allowing the VA to have broader authority in adjusting the basic rate of pay salaries of SES employees who relocate within the Department or transfer from another federal agency. Due to a lack of clarity in federal statute, some SES employees may continue receiving pay based on their previously held position or locality of employment-such as Chicago-even after relocating to a lower cost-of-living area like Lincoln. The VA TRUST Act clarifies the jurisdiction of the VA to authorize these changes in salary for these types of employees, within the existing framework allowed by current federal law.
In a 2024 report by the VA's Office of Inspector General, it was revealed that funds allocated by Congress (totaling $10.8 million) for recruitment and retention of VA employees that assist in processing veterans' benefits claims, were instead used to award bonuses to SES employees within the VA. These bonuses averaged $55,000 per recipient, with multiple bonuses exceeding $100,000.
In response to this finding, Congressman Flood introduced H.R.10319, the BONUS Transparency Act, during the 118th Congress, a portion of which is now included within the VA TRUST Act.
Full text of the VA TRUST Act can be found here.
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