On The Hill – October 2026

A summary of relevant movement on Capitol Hill for PN readers for October, 2026.

PVA Brings the Case for Research Advocates to ACRM Conference

Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) staff took a message to the rehabilitation research community: Involve the people the research is meant to help. On Oct. 15, PVA National Legislative Director Morgan Brown and Lindsay Perlman, PVA director of research and education, spoke at the fall conference of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) in Washington, D.C. Billed as the world’s largest interdisciplinary rehabilitation research event, the conference featured plenary sessions, courses, awards and networking.

Brown and Perlman’s session covered PVA’s history and purpose and showed how advocacy organizations can support research studies at nearly every stage.

Their central point was that research has too often been done without input from the people it is meant to serve. Researchers may not ask end users about the research question, the process or the outcomes. When that happens, the result can end up abandoned because it doesn’t help the people it was designed for. Attendees were encouraged to involve research advocates so research moves forward in a way that includes them.

PVA Co-Hosts Second Access to the Skies Summit on Accessible Air Travel

PVA and All Wheels Up brought the disability community up to speed on efforts to make flying more accessible. On Oct. 1, the two groups co-hosted the Access to the Skies Summit in Colorado Springs, Colo. The half-day hybrid event covered what’s underway to improve air travel now and in the future.

The summit followed the All Wheels Up Global Forum, held Sept. 29-30, where stakeholders come together to discuss accessible air travel, including the potential of wheelchair spots on commercial airplanes.

What was on the agenda

• Opening conversation: Blane Workie of the U.S. Department of Transportation reviewed where the Air Carrier Access Act stands 40 years after it became law.
• Three panels: Topics included preparing for air travel, fixing problems when they arise and what future improvements could mean for passengers with disabilities.
• Who took part: Panelists came from United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Airbus, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration and PVA.

More than 50 people attended in person and nearly 70 joined virtually. A recording of the summit will be available soon.

Social Security and Federal Pensions Get 3.6% Raise in 2027; VA Increase Awaits Congress

Social Security benefits are going up. On Oct. 14, the Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for beneficiaries, starting in 2027. The increase reflects the effects of inflation.

Military and federal retirement benefits will rise by the same amount.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation will get the same increase, but only after Congress passes the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026 (HR 8552/S 4487). Until then, the VA raise isn’t official.

Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Boost VA Reporting on Services for Women Veterans

A new bill in the Senate aims to give Congress a clearer picture of how the VA is serving women veterans. In late September, Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced S 5464, the Veterans’ Outcomes, Inclusion, Care, and Experience (VOICE) for Women Veterans Act. PVA and other veterans service organizations worked with Boozman on the bill. Duckworth signed on as an original cosponsor, making it a bipartisan effort from the start.

The bill builds on earlier legislation like the Deborah Sampson Act. It would do two things:

• Modernize the annual reports VA already produces.
• Require new reporting on health care services, benefits delivery and other services the VA provides to help strengthen and improve services for women across the country.

Read Sen. Boozman’s press release.

VA Pilot Lets Veterans Set Up VA.gov Accounts in Minutes at Six Hospitals

VA is testing a faster way to get online. On Oct. 7, it launched a pilot program at six VA medical centers where veterans can create a va.gov account in a matter of minutes, with help from VA staff. An account is the gateway to VA services, care and benefits online.

The pilot uses kiosks, called pods, from the technology and security company CLEAR. They use the same kind of scanning technology found at airports. The VA says the goal is to make signing up easier for veterans who face mobility, connectivity or other challenges when they try to do it from home.

Where to find a pod

VA medical centers in:

• Atlanta
• Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Orlando, Fla.
• Palo Alto, Calif.
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Washington, D.C.

The VA will consider expanding to other facilities depending on the pilot’s results.

How it works

1. Bring a valid, nonexpired government-issued photo ID (a driver’s license, state ID or passport), plus a phone number and personal email address.
2. VA staff will help you enter your information, and you will have a photo taken of you at the CLEAR pod. The account is set up in minutes.
3. You can then set up Face ID or other recognition tools to log in to your account at home in seconds.

Optional, free and private

Using CLEAR is free and optional. Veterans can keep using existing sign-in options, and choosing not to use CLEAR won’t affect access to VA benefits or services. According to the VA, veterans’ personal health information stays with the VA. CLEAR doesn’t receive or access it, and the VA says CLEAR will not sell biometric or sensitive personal data.

Settlement Strikes “Most Integrated Setting” Rule From HHS Disability Regulations; Rest of Rule Stands

A federal court has removed one piece of the 2024 Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) disability rights regulations but left the rest in place. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas approved a settlement between the federal government and a group of states in Texas v. Kennedy. The case challenged the HHS 2024 rule under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the federal law that bars disability discrimination by programs that receive federal funding, including most hospitals and doctors who take Medicare or Medicaid.

The case was first filed as Texas v. Becerra. The states challenged the new regulations, which clarified antidiscrimination requirements for covered medical providers, services and programs. Those requirements include accessible medical diagnostic equipment, facility accessibility and the use of mobility assistive devices. The states asked the court to throw out the new regulations and Section 504 itself. They later amended the complaint to target the “most integrated setting” provisions, which require that people with disabilities receive services in community-based settings to the fullest extent possible.

What the court did

• Removed: The court vacated the “most integrated setting” requirements.
• Left alone: The court made no ruling on the states’ other arguments and dismissed them without prejudice, meaning they could be raised again. All other parts of the 2024 HHS regulations remain in place.
• Still standing: The settlement does not overturn Olmstead v. L.C., the 1999 Supreme Court decision holding that unnecessarily keeping people with disabilities in institutions is discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What it means

It’s unclear how a future case over services not being provided in community settings would play out, since Olmstead is still the law. If you believe a health care provider has discriminated against you because of your disability, you can file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights.

Read the final order, the original complaint, the amended complaint and HHS’s Section 504 page.

VA’s 2026 Suicide Prevention Report: Most Veterans Who Died by Suicide Were Not Getting VA Care

The VA has released its 2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, based on national death data through 2024. That year, 6,488 veterans died by suicide, an average of 17.7 per day.

The big finding: Care makes a difference

The VA says it has expanded access to reach more veterans in need. The share of veterans enrolled in VA health care rose from 19.5% in 2001 to 50% in 2024. Still, 62% of the veterans who died by suicide in 2024 had not received VA health care in the year they died or the year before.

The rates tell the same story:

• 2001 to 2024: Suicide rates fell 2.2% for veterans enrolled in VHA and rose almost 71% for veterans who were not enrolled.
• 2023 to 2024: Rates fell 4.8% for enrolled veterans and rose 3.7% for unenrolled veterans.

How veterans compare with civilians

• Suicide was the 11th-leading cause of death among veterans in 2024 and the fourth-leading cause of premature death.
• Male veterans’ suicide rate is 56.5% higher than that of nonveteran men.
• Women veterans’ suicide rate is 99.9% higher than that of nonveteran women.
• Firearms continue to play a larger role in veteran suicides than in civilian suicides.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone and help is available. Dial 988, then press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line, or text 838255. You can also contact your local VA provider.

GAO: VA Fertility Care Is Held Back by Unclear Responsibilities and Communication Gaps

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finds the VA’s fertility care program needs better communication and a clearer process for deciding who qualifies. The report, titled Action Needed to Improve Fertility Care Communications and Eligibility Determination Process, is the first comprehensive assessment of fertility care offered by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

What GAO found

• Growing need: Infertility is a growing concern for veterans, with causes that include service-connected injuries, exposures, military sexual trauma (MST) and other factors unique to veterans.
• No consistent system: The VA has not set up protocols and communication processes that can be used across all of its facilities.
• Confusion over roles: Changes made to eligibility criteria and oversight in 2024 left it unclear who is responsible for choosing who is eligible, developing treatment plans and other key parts of care.
• Staffing trouble: Staffing shortages and productivity standards set by facility leaders make it hard to find staff willing to serve on the fertility teams that determine care.

What GAO recommends

1. Better communication from the Office of Women’s Health. The office should set goals with measurable targets and timeframes, collect data to track progress and use that data to assess performance and make adjustments.
2. A check on the eligibility process. The Under Secretary for Health should determine whether the process for deciding who is eligible is working as intended, and should make changes as needed.

Read the full GAO report.

What GAO found

• Audits are on hold. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has suspended audits of selected contractors, a key tool for monitoring compliance. Between fiscal years 2017 and 2025, 532 audits found Section 503 violations. Without audits, the DOL has less assurance that contractors are supporting employment of people with disabilities.
• The enforcement office has shrunk dramatically. DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) went from 484 full-time employees in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 to 79 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026.
• No plan behind the cuts. The GAO says the changes weren’t guided by strategic workforce planning, which would help the DOL make sure the OFCCP has the right staff for its work.

What changed in the rules

On Aug. 21, the OFCCP issued final rules that reduce disability-related compliance obligations and update veteran hiring regulations. They took effect Sept. 21. For Section 503, the OFCCP:

• Ended the requirement that contractors invite applicants and employees to identify themselves as having a disability and eliminated the related Form CC-305 and data collection.
• Removed the 7% utilization goal and the analyses that went with it.
• Raised the basic contract coverage threshold from $15,000 to $20,000 to reflect inflation.

The changes substantially reduce contractors’ number-based compliance duties, but they don’t eliminate Section 503. Contractors must still take affirmative action to employ and advance qualified individuals with disabilities, maintain affirmative action programs, conduct and evaluate outreach and recruitment, provide reasonable accommodations and meet the law’s other remaining requirements.

What GAO recommends

The GAO made eight recommendations, including that the DOL resume compliance audits, do strategic workforce planning for the OFCCP and give contractors more information on providing reasonable accommodations and complying with Section 503. The DOL agreed with six and neither agreed nor disagreed with the other two.

Senate Confirms Keith Sonderling as Labor Secretary

The DOL has a permanent leader. The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as secretary of labor on Sept. 30 in a 47-41 party-line vote. He had been serving as acting secretary since April, when former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer stepped down.

Sonderling previously served as deputy secretary of labor, was a commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from 2020 to 2024 and was acting and deputy administrator of the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division from 2017 to 2020. President Donald Trump nominated him for the top job on June 29.

GAO: Veterans Are Less Likely to Use SNAP, and USDA-VA Outreach Has Slowed

More than 1 million veterans have limited or uncertain access to food, and a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says federal efforts to connect them with food assistance need work.

Released Oct. 1, the report looks at outreach for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) runs with the states. The GAO found that food-insecure veterans are less likely than nonveterans to use SNAP, and that veterans’ misconceptions about the program get in the way of outreach.

What GAO found

• Outdated materials: USDA hasn’t produced SNAP outreach materials tailored to veterans in the past five years, despite recent program changes affecting them. Veterans’ organizations and other partners told the GAO that things like talking points dispelling SNAP myths would help them reach veterans.
• Slowed collaboration: The VA and USDA signed an agreement in September 2023 to address veteran food insecurity. VA officials say the agencies’ joint work has slowed since April 2025, after USDA lost key staff. Both agencies consider the agreement still in effect, but they haven’t reviewed it as the agreement requires, so its status is unclear.
• Uneven participation: The share of veterans receiving SNAP varies by state. Most states with outreach plans in fiscal year 2026 (39 of 47) named veterans as a target group.

What changed for veterans

SNAP has long included exceptions that made it easier for veterans in need to qualify. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (PL 119-21), those exceptions were removed.

The GAO made four recommendations. USDA and the VA both agreed with all of them.

1. USDA should make sure its SNAP eligibility website has up-to-date information on exceptions to the SNAP time limit.
2. USDA should develop and distribute veteran-specific SNAP outreach materials, working with the VHA.
3. USDA should put a formal mechanism in place to work with the VA on veteran food insecurity, which could include reviewing and updating the agreement.
4. The VA should do the same on its end.

This will be the only On The Hill for October, due to Congressional recess.