Congress moves to stop VA contractors from selling veteran data
H.R. 7280 — Veteran DATA Act · Filed by Nicole (Nikki) Budzinski (D-IL) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 30, 2026 · Markup held
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from entering contracts that allow contractors to sell or profit from veterans' sensitive personal information—including health records, Social Security numbers, and other protected data. It requires the VA to add protective clauses to all new and existing contracts, issue guidance to prevent data misuse, and report to Congress within one year on compliance.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is straightforward: it restricts VA contractors from profiting off veteran data. It is a privacy safeguard, not a complex regulatory or financial instrument.
What the text implies
- Contractors may face reduced revenue streams from data monetization, potentially increasing contract costs to the VA if they previously relied on data sales to offset expenses.
- The one-year compliance window may require rapid renegotiation of existing contracts, creating administrative burden on VA procurement staff.
- Definition of 'anonymized' information is not specified; contractors may argue certain de-identified datasets fall outside the prohibition, creating enforcement ambiguity.
Who it affects
Veterans and their families gain direct protection against unauthorized commercialization of their most sensitive personal data. The bill closes a loophole that could allow private contractors to monetize VA-held information without consent, reducing privacy risk and financial exploitation.
Named in the bill
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA contractors and subcontractors, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Where it stands
2 cosponsors: 1 Democrats, 1 Republicans.
- Jan 30, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 30, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Veterans' Affairs · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs”
- Mar 25, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Hearings Held”
- Apr 15, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the full bill text on Jul 5, 2026; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Congress moves to stop VA contractors from selling veteran data” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr7280 Report an error
The week in bills
One email, Sunday: what Congress passed, what it changed, and who paid.
One link arrives to confirm the address. It is used for this email and nothing else, and every issue carries an unsubscribe link.