# 119-hr-5981: VA Billing Accountability Act

119-hr-5981, VA Billing Accountability Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (R-PA); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5981
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5981
- Congress: 119
- Title: VA Billing Accountability Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-11-07
- Sponsor: Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (R-PA)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Waives veteran copayments when VA billing errors cause long notification delays.** The bill would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to waive copayments for hospital care, nursing home care, medical services, and medications when VA errors delay telling a veteran about a required payment.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1] (D-NC), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6] (R-AZ), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4] (R-WA), 2025-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1] (R-MN), 2025-11-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, John R. [R-TX-31] (R-TX), 2025-12-10T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Temporary waivers for delayed VA bills: benefit, medium. If enacted, for two years the VA could waive copays when an error caused a late bill. For VA care or medications, a waiver could apply if notice came more than 180 days after the care or fill. For non‑VA care, a waiver could apply if notice came after 18 months. Waivers would be case‑by‑case and de…
- Timely VA copay notices and safeguards: benefit, medium. If enacted, VA would have to tell you about any copay within 180 days for care at VA facilities. For care at non‑VA facilities, VA would have to send notice within 18 months. If VA misses these deadlines, it would be barred from collecting, including through third‑party collectors, unless it first…
- VA billing controls review in 180 days: benefit, low. If enacted, VA would have 180 days to review and improve copay billing controls and notice procedures. VA would also review waiver cases to find ways to cut down late notices. This could reduce surprise bills over time.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-5401: Pay Our Troops Act of 2026
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-5981 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5981)

## Related
- [119-hr-5401: Pay Our Troops Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5401)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5981 (as of 2026-04-21).