SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Angus King
Introduced
Summary
Would create a VA Office of Falls Prevention to coordinate a national program reducing falls among veterans. It would set national standards, run education and outreach, support research, and test home-modification pilots to lower fall risk.
Show full summary
- Veterans and families would get a national education campaign about fall risks and VA benefits. The bill would fund grants or contracts to local groups for community campaigns and require the VA Secretary to study a home-adaptations pilot and send a plan to Congress within one year.
- VA facilities and providers would face new national directives on safe patient handling and mobility to be issued or updated within 180 days. Those directives would require biennial provider training and access to appropriate safe-handling equipment at facilities and in emergency settings.
- The Office would coordinate research with the VA Office of Research and Development and the National Institute on Aging and convene an eight-member expert panel. It must produce a Department-wide report using a three-year lookback of falls-prevention metrics to evaluate screening, electronic health record use, home-modification grant impact, and other measures.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New VA falls prevention office
This bill would create an Office of Falls Prevention at the VA Central Office. The office would be led by a Chief Officer who reports to the Under Secretary for Health. The office would run a national education campaign and could award grants for local falls-prevention outreach. It would set standards of care, monitor VA facilities and home-support programs, and coordinate home-modification programs. The VA would work with the VA research office and the National Institute on Aging and must set up a joint expert panel within 180 days.
Pilot for home fall repairs
This bill would require the VA Secretary to study a pilot that would give home improvements and structural alterations to prevent falls for veterans eligible for those services. The Secretary must tell Congress within one year whether the pilot is feasible and advisable. If the pilot runs, the Chief Officer must report lessons learned within 180 days after the pilot ends with recommendations on extending or expanding it.
Therapist-run falls checks in VA
This bill would require that annual falls risk assessments and fall-prevention services for veterans in extended care be done by a licensed physical or occupational therapist. For VA nursing home residents, a therapist must assess and provide services if a physician says the resident fell or was at risk in the prior year. The nursing-home rule would end on September 30, 2028.
Required safe patient handling rules
This bill would require the VA to issue or update national directives within 180 days on safe patient handling and mobility. Directives would require training every two years for providers on safe handling and mobility aids. Facilities where patients may need help with transfers must have access to appropriate safe-handling equipment. Emergency settings would need immediate access to such technology.
VA added to aging committee
This bill would add the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities. It would also add the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees to the committee's consultation list. This change is intended to improve coordination on aging and veteran issues.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Angus King
ME • I
Cosponsors
Mike Rounds
SD • R
Sponsored 2/20/2025
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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