Press Releases

Washington, D.C. — Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) and Congressman James C. Moylan (GU-00) introduced the Streamline Upgrades for Veterans Act, legislation to help ensure veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) receive timely consideration when seeking relief related to their military discharge status. The Government Accountability Office found inconsistent adjudication timelines of discharge upgrade requests across the services.

Veterans, particularly those suffering from PTSD or TBI, often rely on discharge upgrades to access VA health care, housing assistance, and other earned benefits. Prolonged adjudication delays can leave veterans waiting years for relief.

The bill would prevent reductions in staffing at military review boards through December 31, 2030, and require the Department of Defense to submit a report to Congress on how long it takes to review cases involving veterans seeking to appeal their discharge tied to PTSD or TBI. The legislation would also require a public summary of that report to be posted online by both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Veterans carrying the effects of trauma and invisible wounds deserve a system that works as efficiently as possible as they seek fair reviews of their military discharge status,” said Congressman Walkinshaw. “That means adequate staffing, timely reviews, and a clear look at the bureaucratic hurdles standing in their way. Veterans answered the call to serve our country, and it is our responsibility to make sure the system works for them when they come home.”

“Our veterans should never have to fight another battle just to receive the benefits they earned through their service,” said Congressman Moylan. “When delays stretch into years, especially for those suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, the system is failing them. This bill takes a critical step toward accountability, transparency, and faster decisions for those who need it most.”

Under current law, protections against reducing personnel assigned to service review agencies expired at the end of 2025. This legislation would extend those protections for five additional years to help preserve the staffing needed to process these cases.

The bill also directs the Department of Defense to examine differences in review times across military departments, report on the number of personnel assigned to these cases, and provide recommendations to help speed up the process. The Secretary of Defense would also be required to brief Congress on the report’s findings, and an executive summary would be made publicly available online.

The Streamline Upgrades for Veterans Act was referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Read the bill text here.

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