July 6, 2026
Loraine Spangler
Policy Analyst
Veteran Readiness and Employment Services
Veterans Benefits Administration
Department of Veterans Affairs
submitted via regulations.gov
RE: Veteran Readiness and Employment Program: Improving Development and Delivery of Individualized Rehabilitation Plans
RIN: 2900-AS92
Dear Ms. Spangler,
We submit this comment in response to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) proposed rule regarding the development and delivery of individualized rehabilitation plans under the Veteran Readiness and Employment program (VR&E).
We support VA’s goal of reducing unnecessary delays in the development and review of rehabilitation plans. Veterans should not be forced to wait for a bureaucratic consultation process, especially when the members of the decision panel may have no direct knowledge of the individual’s needs. To the extent the panel has contributed to delayed decisions rather than meaningful review, VA is right to reconsider whether that process remains useful.
At the same time, removing the panel should not mean termination of careful, individualized review in complex cases. Faster decision-making should not come at the expense of individualized rehabilitation planning.
In our experience, delays have frustrated many veterans trying to use the VR&E program to secure employment, with some even giving up on the program entirely due to fatigue and disappointment with the process. We have also heard from veterans that decisions seem arbitrary and disconnected from the veterans’ specific disabilities and needs. VR&E would be greatly improved by reducing wait times and increasing meaningful engagement with veterans’ employment challenges and goals.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide these comments.
Sincerely,
William Hubbard
Vice President for Veterans & Military Policy