Enacting S. 2921 would affect several benefit programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including those providing education, housing, and burial benefits. On net, those changes would decrease direct spending by $3.9 billion over the 2017-2026 period.
In addition, S. 2921 would make a number of changes to VA’s health care programs, including expanding the caregivers program, improving benefits for homeless veterans, and increasing pay for medical staff. In total, CBO estimates that implementing those provisions would cost $3.5 billion over the 2017-2021 period, subject to appropriation of the necessary amounts.
Pay-as-you-go procedures apply because enacting the legislation would affect direct spending. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues. CBO estimates that enacting S. 2921 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
S. 2921 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.