---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 3121"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "3121"
heading: "Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/3121"
units:
  - "Part III — Readjustment and Related Benefits"
  - "Chapter 31 — Training and Rehabilitation for Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities"
---

# §3121. Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation

- (a)
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) shall appoint an advisory committee to be known as the [Veterans](/usc/38/3701.md?p=b-2)’ Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Committee”).
  - (2) The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) from the general public and shall serve for terms to be determined by the [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) not to exceed three years. [Veterans](/usc/38/3701.md?p=b-2) with [service-connected](/usc/38/101.md?p=16) disabilities shall be appropriately represented in the membership of the Committee, and the Committee shall also include persons who have distinguished themselves in the public and private sectors in the fields of rehabilitation medicine, vocational guidance, vocational rehabilitation, and employment and training programs. The [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) may designate one of the members of the Committee appointed under this paragraph to chair the Committee.
  - (3) The Committee shall also include as ex officio members the following: (A) one representative from the [Veterans](/usc/38/3701.md?p=b-2) Health Administration and one from the [Veterans](/usc/38/3701.md?p=b-2) [Benefits](/usc/38/4303.md?p=2) Administration, (B) one representative from the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) of Education and one from the National Institute for Handicapped Research of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) of Education, and (C) one representative of the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) of Labor for [Veterans](/usc/38/3701.md?p=b-2)’ Employment and Training of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) of Labor.
- (b) The [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) shall, on a regular basis, consult with and seek the advice of the Committee with respect to the administration of [veterans](/usc/38/3701.md?p=b-2)’ [rehabilitation programs](/usc/38/3101.md?p=7) under this title.
- (c) The Committee shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) an annual report on the [rehabilitation programs](/usc/38/3101.md?p=7) and activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and shall submit such other reports and recommendations to the [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) as the Committee determines appropriate. The annual report shall include an assessment of the rehabilitation needs of [veterans](/usc/38/3701.md?p=b-2) and a review of the programs and activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs designed to meet such needs. The [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) shall submit with each annual report submitted to the Congress pursuant to [section 529 of this title](/usc/38/529.md) a copy of all reports and recommendations of the Committee submitted to the [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) since the previous annual report of the [Secretary](/usc/38/4101.md?p=8) was submitted to the Congress pursuant to such section.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 96–466, title I, § 101(a), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2186, § 1521; amended Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 423(b)(1), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2092; Pub. L. 102–54, § 14(c)(5), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 285; renumbered § 3121 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 2(c)(3), 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 402, 406; Pub. L. 103–446, title XII, § 1201(b)(1), (i)(5), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4682, 4688.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1994—Subsec. (a)(3)(A). Pub. L. 103–446 substituted “Veterans Health Administration” for “Department of Medicine and Surgery” and “Veterans Benefits Administration” for “Department of Veterans’ Benefits”.

1991—Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 1521 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 102–54 substituted “Veterans’ Employment and Training” for “Veterans’ Employment”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–83, § 2(c)(3), substituted “section 529” for “section 214”.

1989—Subsecs. (a)(1), (2), (b). Pub. L. 101–237 substituted “Secretary” and “Department of Veterans Affairs” for “Administrator” and “Veterans’ Administration”, respectively, wherever appearing.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1980, see section 802(a)(2) of Pub. L. 96–466, set out as a note under section 3100 of this title.