The continuing resolution to keep the government funded through March 14 would, in part, formalize a VA office that gathers feedback to improve veteran services.
The stopgap funding bill unveiled by congressional leaders yesterday to avert a looming government shutdown also includes a provision that would permanently establish the Department of Veterans Affairs' customer experience office.
Tucked away in the more than 1,500 page continuing resolution is a section that would codify the department's Veterans Experience Office -- or VEO -- which VA first launched in 2015 and focuses on gathering feedback from veterans and their families to help improve the delivery of benefits and services.
The proposal builds upon legislation introduced in September by Reps. Nikki Budzinksi, D-Ill., and Julia Brownley, D-Calif., who are both members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. A similar bill from Sen. Angus King, I-Maine -- also a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee -- was rolled out in November 2023.
"Too often, a lack of trust, complicated documents and confusing processes discourage veterans from reaching out for the help they need," Budzinksi said in a statement following her bill's introduction. "By giving veterans a voice and putting their insights into action, the VEO has been instrumental in making VA services more accessible."
A key focus of the office has been surveying veterans to gauge their satisfaction with VA services and using that collected feedback to enhance trust in the department. The VEO debuted VA's first enterprisewide customer experience surveys -- known as Veterans Signals, or VSignals -- in 2016, and subsequently used gathered responses to overhaul the department's website to make it more user-friendly.
Former Chief Veterans Experience Officer John Boerstler told Nextgov/FCW in August that the VEO was also gathering feedback from a newly launched website and call center designed to help protect veterans from scams, with the end goal of using the responses to better understand and respond to common fraud techniques.
The office has also been experimenting with emerging capabilities, including using artificial intelligence tools to parse survey responses from veterans to identify key phrases -- such as those showcasing signs of suicidal ideation -- to help connect retired servicemembers with mental health professionals.
In addition to codifying the VEO, the legislation included in the continuing resolution outlines the process for appointing the chief veterans experience officer and requires the department to submit reports to Congress on veteran feedback and satisfaction with services.
The proposal also mandates that other VA offices provide the VEO with collected customer experience data and formally tasks the office with "carrying out the key customer experience initiatives of the department relating to veterans' and other beneficiaries' satisfaction with and usage of benefits and services."
The continuing resolution would avert a Dec. 20 government shutdown and fund the government through March 14.