Summary
The Veterans ACCESS Act of 2025 aims to expand and clarify how veterans receive medical care both within and outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system. If enacted, the bill would write specific access standards into law to determine when a veteran is eligible for the Veterans Community Care Program, which allows them to see private doctors. It would also require the VA to notify veterans of their eligibility within two business days of a request and give private healthcare providers more time to submit claims for reimbursement.
The proposal also focuses heavily on mental health and substance abuse services. It would require the VA to create a standardized screening process for residential treatment programs and track how quickly facilities admit veterans to these programs. Additionally, the bill would establish a formal appeal process for veterans who are denied admission or face long delays for a bed. To improve the user experience, the VA would be required to build an online self-service portal where veterans could manage their own appointments, track referrals, and appeal healthcare decisions directly.
AI-generated summary
Lifecycle of the Bill
HearingHouseHearing6 witnesses
Feb 25, 2025 · 19:00
Legislative Hearing on: H.R. 472, The Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025; H.R. 1041, Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act; Discission Draft: To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting certain information to the Department of Justice for use by the national instant criminal background check system; H.R. 740, Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025; and Discussion Draft: Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act of 2025
Summary
The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a legislative hearing on February 26, 2025, to examine four bills and a discussion draft addressing various veterans' issues. The bills included H.R. 472 (Restore VA Accountability Act), H.R. 1041 (Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act), H.R. 740 (Veterans' ACCESS Act), and H.R. 1391 (Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act), along with a discussion draft on background check reporting. H.R. 472 would streamline disciplinary procedures at the VA by allowing the Secretary to remove, demote, or suspend supervisors and managers based on substantial evidence of performance or misconduct, while maintaining due process protections including advance notice and grievance procedures. H.R. 1041 would prohibit the VA from reporting veterans to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System solely because they have a fiduciary managing their benefits, requiring instead a court finding that the veteran poses a danger to themselves or others. H.R. 740 would improve veterans' access to community-based care by codifying access standards and establishing an online portal for veterans to manage appointments and appeals. H.R. 1391 would allow the VA to restore educational benefits to veterans defrauded by educational institutions and require those institutions to repay the government. Witnesses testifying included VA officials—Dr. Sachin Yende (Chief Medical Officer), Ms. Beth Murphy (Acting Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Benefits), and Ms. Tracey Therit (Chief Human Capital Officer)—as well as representatives from veterans organizations including Mr. Patrick Murray (Veterans of Foreign Wars), Mr. Jim Whaley (Mission Roll Call), and the Honorable Max Rose (Vet Voice Foundation). The hearing provided an opportunity for the committee to gather testimony on these legislative proposals, though the hearing itself does not guarantee the bills will advance.
Video
Witnesses(6)
| Name | Position | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Sachin YendeU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration | Chief Medical Officer | |
| Mr. Jim WhaleyMission Roll Call | Chief Executive Officer | |
| Mr. Patrick MurrayVeterans of Foreign Wars | Director, National Legislative Service | |
| Ms. Beth MurphyU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration | Acting Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Benefits | |
| Ms. Tracey TheritU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration | Chief Human Capital Officer | |
| The Honorable Max RoseVet Voice Foundation | Senior Advisor |
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Jul 23, 2025
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Jul 23, 2025
HearingHouseMarkup
Jul 23, 2025 · 14:15
Markup on: H.R. 740, Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers Act of 2025; H.R. 1663, Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act of 2025; H. R. 3400, the Territorial Response and Access to Veterans’ Essential Lifecare Act; H. R. 3726, Fisher House Availability Act of 2025; H. R. 3767, Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025; H.R. 2605, Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act; H.R. 2137, Review Every Veterans Claim Act of 2025; H. R. 3123, Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act; H.R. 3834, Protecting Veteran’s Claim Options Act; H.R. 3854, Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act; H.R. 3951, Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025; H.R. 3483, Forcing Real Accountability for Unlawful Distributions Act of 2025; H.R. 3482, Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act; H. R. 3494, VA Hospital Inventory Management System Authorization Act; H.R. 3455, Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act of 2025; H.R. 2334, To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to preempt any squatter’s rights established by State law regarding real property owned by a member of the uniformed services; H.R. 2791, To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum amount of housing loan guaranty entitlement available to certain veterans under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; H R. 3481, Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act of 2025; H.R. 3579, Veterans Readiness and Employment Program Integrity Act; H.R. 3863, VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act; H.R. 659, Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025; H. R. 2701, Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act; H.R. 2721, Honoring Our Heroes Act of 2025; H.R. 2034, Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act; H. R. 2954, Veterans’ Transition to Trucking Act of 2025; H.R. 3812, Stop Troubling Retroactive Invoices for Veteran Expenses Act of 2025; H.R. 2148, Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act; H.R. 4446, FAST VETS Act; Major Medical Lease Committee Resolution FY25; Major Medical Lease Committee Resolution PACT Act.
Summary
On July 23, 2025, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a markup session to consider 30 bills aimed at improving veterans' services and benefits. The bills addressed a wide range of issues including mental health outreach, rural healthcare access, caregiver support, fraud prevention, claims processing modernization, housing assistance, and vocational training. Among the bills considered were the Veterans' ACCESS Act, which would expand healthcare provider participation in the VA Community Care program; the VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act; the Rural Veterans' Improved Access to Benefits Act; and the Veterans' Transition to Trucking Act, which would support job training for veterans. During the markup, Rep. Tom Barrett offered an amendment to the Veterans' ACCESS Act to explicitly include hearing aid specialists in the VA Community Care program. The committee also reviewed resolutions related to medical leases and the PACT Act. No formal testimony from external witnesses was recorded for this markup session. A markup is a procedural step where a committee refines and votes on bills before they advance to the full House, but passage through markup does not guarantee the bills will become law.
Video
HearingHouseHearing6 witnesses
Feb 25, 2025 · 19:00
Legislative Hearing on: H.R. 472, The Restore VA Accountability Act of 2025; H.R. 1041, Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act; Discission Draft: To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting certain information to the Department of Justice for use by the national instant criminal background check system; H.R. 740, Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025; and Discussion Draft: Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act of 2025
Summary
The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a legislative hearing on February 26, 2025, to examine four bills and a discussion draft addressing various veterans' issues. The bills included H.R. 472 (Restore VA Accountability Act), H.R. 1041 (Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act), H.R. 740 (Veterans' ACCESS Act), and H.R. 1391 (Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act), along with a discussion draft on background check reporting. H.R. 472 would streamline disciplinary procedures at the VA by allowing the Secretary to remove, demote, or suspend supervisors and managers based on substantial evidence of performance or misconduct, while maintaining due process protections including advance notice and grievance procedures. H.R. 1041 would prohibit the VA from reporting veterans to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System solely because they have a fiduciary managing their benefits, requiring instead a court finding that the veteran poses a danger to themselves or others. H.R. 740 would improve veterans' access to community-based care by codifying access standards and establishing an online portal for veterans to manage appointments and appeals. H.R. 1391 would allow the VA to restore educational benefits to veterans defrauded by educational institutions and require those institutions to repay the government. Witnesses testifying included VA officials—Dr. Sachin Yende (Chief Medical Officer), Ms. Beth Murphy (Acting Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Benefits), and Ms. Tracey Therit (Chief Human Capital Officer)—as well as representatives from veterans organizations including Mr. Patrick Murray (Veterans of Foreign Wars), Mr. Jim Whaley (Mission Roll Call), and the Honorable Max Rose (Vet Voice Foundation). The hearing provided an opportunity for the committee to gather testimony on these legislative proposals, though the hearing itself does not guarantee the bills will advance.
Video
Witnesses(6)
| Name | Position | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Sachin YendeU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration | Chief Medical Officer | |
| Mr. Jim WhaleyMission Roll Call | Chief Executive Officer | |
| Mr. Patrick MurrayVeterans of Foreign Wars | Director, National Legislative Service | |
| Ms. Beth MurphyU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration | Acting Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Benefits | |
| Ms. Tracey TheritU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration | Chief Human Capital Officer | |
| The Honorable Max RoseVet Voice Foundation | Senior Advisor |
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Jul 23, 2025
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Jul 23, 2025
HearingHouseMarkup
Jul 23, 2025 · 14:15
Markup on: H.R. 740, Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers Act of 2025; H.R. 1663, Veterans Scam And Fraud Evasion Act of 2025; H. R. 3400, the Territorial Response and Access to Veterans’ Essential Lifecare Act; H. R. 3726, Fisher House Availability Act of 2025; H. R. 3767, Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025; H.R. 2605, Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act; H.R. 2137, Review Every Veterans Claim Act of 2025; H. R. 3123, Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act; H.R. 3834, Protecting Veteran’s Claim Options Act; H.R. 3854, Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act; H.R. 3951, Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025; H.R. 3483, Forcing Real Accountability for Unlawful Distributions Act of 2025; H.R. 3482, Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act; H. R. 3494, VA Hospital Inventory Management System Authorization Act; H.R. 3455, Veterans Affairs Distributed Ledger Innovation Act of 2025; H.R. 2334, To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to preempt any squatter’s rights established by State law regarding real property owned by a member of the uniformed services; H.R. 2791, To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum amount of housing loan guaranty entitlement available to certain veterans under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; H R. 3481, Delivering Digitally to Our Veterans Act of 2025; H.R. 3579, Veterans Readiness and Employment Program Integrity Act; H.R. 3863, VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act; H.R. 659, Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025; H. R. 2701, Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act; H.R. 2721, Honoring Our Heroes Act of 2025; H.R. 2034, Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act; H. R. 2954, Veterans’ Transition to Trucking Act of 2025; H.R. 3812, Stop Troubling Retroactive Invoices for Veteran Expenses Act of 2025; H.R. 2148, Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act; H.R. 4446, FAST VETS Act; Major Medical Lease Committee Resolution FY25; Major Medical Lease Committee Resolution PACT Act.
Summary
On July 23, 2025, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a markup session to consider 30 bills aimed at improving veterans' services and benefits. The bills addressed a wide range of issues including mental health outreach, rural healthcare access, caregiver support, fraud prevention, claims processing modernization, housing assistance, and vocational training. Among the bills considered were the Veterans' ACCESS Act, which would expand healthcare provider participation in the VA Community Care program; the VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act; the Rural Veterans' Improved Access to Benefits Act; and the Veterans' Transition to Trucking Act, which would support job training for veterans. During the markup, Rep. Tom Barrett offered an amendment to the Veterans' ACCESS Act to explicitly include hearing aid specialists in the VA Community Care program. The committee also reviewed resolutions related to medical leases and the PACT Act. No formal testimony from external witnesses was recorded for this markup session. A markup is a procedural step where a committee refines and votes on bills before they advance to the full House, but passage through markup does not guarantee the bills will become law.
Video
Congress
119th Congress
Introduced
Jan 28, 2025
