The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted unanimously Thursday to advance U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett’s CRUISE Act (H.R. 7083) to the House floor. This critical legislation will ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) efficiently reimburses businesses that modify vehicles to accommodate veterans’ disabilities.
“Disabled veterans depend on accessible vehicles to get to medical appointments, stop by the grocery store, visit loved ones, and maintain their independence,” said Barrett in a release. “However, long reimbursement delays from the VA are placing financial strain on the small businesses that help modify veterans’ vehicles. If mobility equipment providers can’t count on the VA for on-time payments, they may be forced to leave the program, reducing options for veterans. I’m grateful to my colleagues on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee for advancing my bill to streamline payments and ensure heroes injured in the line of duty can get where they need to go.”
The CRUISE Act comes at a time when many companies that provide wheelchair lifts, ramps, tie-down systems, and other adaptive vehicle modifications for disabled veterans are often forced to wait months — and sometimes years — to receive their reimbursement through the VA’s Automobile Adaptive Equipment (AAE) program. Those payment delays create serious financial strain and can discourage companies from continuing to serve veterans through the program. This legislation would simplify and centralize the reimbursement process to help ensure providers are paid promptly for their integral work.
You can watch Barrett’s remarks below:
Background:
The VA’s AAE program helps pay for vehicle modifications that allow veterans with service-connected disabilities to safely drive their vehicles and more easily enter and exit them. However, as of May 2025, the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association reported that nearly $11 million in reimbursements owed to mobility equipment providers remained unpaid for more than 90 days.
Barrett’s Centralized Reimbursement for Upgraded Innovative Service Equipment (CRUISE) Act (H.R. 7083) would move oversight of the AAE reimbursement system to one office in the department instead of leaving payment processing up to individual VA hospitals. The legislation would also establish a formal invoice tracking system and increase transparency by requiring the VA to publicly disclose payment delays that extend beyond 30 days.
Barrett has been a leader in Congress in efforts to improve transportation accessibility for disabled veterans. In 2025, the House unanimously passed his Automotive Support Services to Improve Safe Transportation (ASSIST) Act, legislation aimed at expanding the types of vehicle modifications eligible for VA assistance.
CLICK HERE to read the CRUISE Act.
