# 119-hr-71: Veterans Health Care Freedom Act

119-hr-71, Veterans Health Care Freedom Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-71
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-71
- Congress: 119
- Title: Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-01-03
- Sponsor: Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ)
- Cosponsors: 13
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Expands veterans' ability to choose health providers.** This bill would create a three-year VA pilot that lets enrolled veterans pick any provider inside a defined covered care system and would phase many of those expanded choices into law after four years. - Veterans: Eligible veterans would pick a primary care provider inside the covered care system who coordinates hospital, medical, and extended care and may refer them to specialty or mental health providers as needed. - Administration and oversight: The pilot is run by the VA's Center for Innovation for Care and Payment in at least four geographically diverse Veterans Integrated Service Networks and requires quarterly reports in the first two years and annual reports after that. The VA must carry out the pilot with amounts otherwise available; no new appropriations are authorized. - Network and access rules: Beginning four years after enactment, certain statutory restrictions on community care and Veterans Care Agreements would be phased out and veterans could receive care at VA facilities regardless of VISN boundaries when allowed by the new framework.

## Cosponsors (13)

- Rep. Crane, Elijah [R-AZ-2] (R-AZ), 2025-01-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11] (R-FL), 2025-01-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] (R-FL), 2025-01-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9] (R-AZ), 2025-01-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13] (R-FL), 2025-01-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brecheen, Josh [R-OK-2] (R-OK), 2025-01-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] (R-FL), 2025-01-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15] (R-IL), 2025-01-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large] (R-WY), 2025-01-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7] (R-WI), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6] (R-OH), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Harris, Mark [R-NC-8] (R-NC), 2025-02-14T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Permanent cross‑VISN and provider choice: benefit, medium. If enacted, starting four years after enactment the VA would have to let veterans covered under chapter 17 get hospital, medical, and extended care at any VA facility, even if it is in another VISN. The VA would also apply the pilot's provider-choice rules to community care and Veterans Care Agreem…
- VA pilot to expand provider choice: benefit, medium. If enacted, the VA would run a three-year pilot starting one year after enactment. Enrolled veterans in selected VA regions could opt in. You could choose hospital, medical, extended, mental health, and specialty providers inside a defined covered care system. You would pick a primary care provider…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act
- 119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025
- 119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.
- 119-hr-22: SAVE Act
- 119-hr-404: Hearing Protection Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-71 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/71)

## Related
- [119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-425)
- [119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1628)
- [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38)
- [119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-719)
- [119-hr-22: SAVE Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-22)
- [119-hr-404: Hearing Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-404)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-71 (as of 2025-12-21).