Rep. Jen Kiggans, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, opened a hearing focused on how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is carrying out the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, also known as the Dole Act. The law was enacted in 2025 with aims to modernize VA healthcare, support caregivers, improve education and job training access for veterans, and expand home care options for older veterans.
Kiggans emphasized the bipartisan nature of the legislation: “This was a sweeping, bipartisan, bicameral package negotiated and supported by members in both the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans alike, united by a shared commitment to those who served.” She described the act as one of the most comprehensive reforms for veterans in recent years.
She noted that while some progress has been made—veterans and their caretakers are beginning to see benefits—the VA’s implementation is still incomplete. According to Kiggans, out of 72 sections in the law, 55 remain in progress more than a year after enactment. The VA reports being on track with most requirements but two sections face imminent expiration: Section 106 increases dental care access but only one phase has begun; Section 143 covers ambulance costs for rural veterans but remains unimplemented ahead of its sunset date this September.
“These are not minor provisions. These are real benefits affecting real veterans — access to dental care, emergency transportation in rural communities, and essential services that directly impact health outcomes,” Kiggans stated.
Eight other sections have been identified as “at risk” or “behind schedule.” Among them is VET-TEC—a pilot program designed to offer short-term high-tech training and employment opportunities—which is delayed.
The Dole Act also included Kiggans’ own Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act (COPE Act), which established grants for mental health care targeting family caregivers. She voiced concern that both this measure and others within the Dole Act have not been executed according to congressional intent.
“But to my dismay, it appears that VA has not followed the Congressional intent of the COPE Act, and, to my knowledge, has not followed many other provisions within the Dole Act,” she said. “Failure to carry out the will of Congress is unacceptable.”
Kiggans underscored her personal connection as a veteran herself as well as a spouse of a veteran: “As a veteran, the wife of a veteran, and a healthcare worker, I understand the importance of investing in our veteran communities to improve health outcomes.”
She called on her colleagues for continued oversight: “Oversight is not optional — it is a constitutional obligation. And today’s hearing is about making sure this landmark law does not fall short in execution.”
Kiggans concluded by stressing accountability from VA leadership so that legislative promises translate into meaningful change for veterans’ everyday lives: “Because the true measure of this legislation will not be the vote tally that passed it, but whether veterans on the ground feel the difference in their daily lives.”
