The Putting Veterans First Act of 2025 protects military-connected federal employees and the Department of Veterans Affairs from workforce disruptions and operational changes. The bill requires the VA to reinstate any veterans, military spouses, caregivers, or reserve members who were removed, demoted, or suspended since January 20, 2025, and provides back pay and benefits restoration; it also prohibits hiring freezes, office closures, telework changes, and job offer rescissions without detailed justification and advance congressional notice. The legislation restricts mass contract cancellations, protects veteran data privacy by requiring disconnection from non-compliant systems within 15 days, and exempts the VA from certain government efficiency orders. Additionally, the bill establishes extensive reporting requirements, including weekly workload reports on benefits processing backlogs, quarterly tracking of military-connected employee hiring and separations, and detailed congressional notifications on major operational changes. The Government Accountability Office must complete a comprehensive employment review by April 2027, and the VA Inspector General must investigate unauthorized system access within 180 days of enactment.
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