in effect
This is a presidential executive order (E.O. 14296, signed May 9, 2025) directing the Department of Veterans Affairs and several other federal agencies to take specific steps to address veteran homelessness and improve VA services. It formally establishes a “National Center for Warrior Independence” on the existing West Los Angeles VA campus and sets a series of internal reporting and action deadlines for agency heads.
The West Los Angeles VA campus is designated as the National Center for Warrior Independence, with a target capacity of 6,000 housed veterans to be reached by January 1, 2028. The VA Secretary must submit an action plan to the President within 120 days of May 9, 2025. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is directed to deploy housing vouchers to support homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area and nationally. Within 60 days, the VA must submit a plan to reduce wait times for VA health appointments, exploring expanded hours, weekend slots, and telehealth. Within 30 days, a feasibility study must begin at the Manchester, NH VA Medical Center, with a 180-day deadline to submit an action plan for making it a full-service center — which would make New Hampshire no longer the only contiguous U.S. state without one.
Homeless veterans in the Los Angeles metropolitan area are the primary direct beneficiaries, as the order targets expanded housing, treatment, and employment support specifically for them. Veterans nationwide may be affected by the wait-time reduction plan and the potential for cross-use of VA and military treatment facilities. VA employees are affected by the accountability provisions, which direct action against staff previously fired for misconduct who were rehired, and redirect any recovered funds toward veteran care.