Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act of 2025

This legislation seeks to enhance the efficiency of adjudications and appeals for benefits administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. It mandates the Secretary to submit annual reports detailing the average time claims are pending after remand and the number of cases advanced on the Board's docket. Furthermore, it requires the Secretary to track and maintain information on various claim types, including those continuously pursued, in the National Work Queue, or remanded by the Board, to improve oversight and timeliness. Significant improvements are introduced for the Board of Veterans' Appeals , allowing the Chairman to aggregate appeals with common legal or factual questions for more efficient resolution. The bill also strengthens compliance by requiring the Secretary to ensure substantial adherence to Board remand decisions, with specific waiver conditions. For the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims , its jurisdiction is expanded to include class action proceedings for certain benefit claims and to allow for limited remands to the Board to address specific legal or factual questions. To further optimize the process, the bill directs the Chairman of the Board to conduct a study identifying common legal or factual questions where precedential guidance would be beneficial. Additionally, it mandates an independent assessment by a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) on the feasibility of allowing the Board to issue precedential decisions. This assessment will also review the Board's authority to aggregate appeals and recommend best practices for such aggregation.