BRAVE Act of 2025

The BRAVE Act of 2025 would enhance mental health services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill would address staffing challenges by allowing the VA to temporarily waive licensure requirements for mental health counselors and conducting salary surveys to compare VA mental health worker pay with the private sector. It would also improve Vet Center operations by expanding their geographic reach, enhancing outreach efforts, and assessing barriers veterans face in accessing services.

The legislation includes specific provisions for women veterans, such as studying the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs targeting women and modifying the VA's mental health risk assessment program to account for gender-specific factors. The bill would extend the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program and increase its funding. Additionally, it would establish a pilot program providing mental health residential treatment for veterans with spinal cord injuries and require the VA to offer annual mental health consultations to veterans receiving disability compensation for mental health conditions.