# 119-s-1533: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, and for other purposes.

119-s-1533, A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, and for other purposes., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-31).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1533
- As of: 2026-10-31
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1533
- Congress: 119
- Title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, and for other purposes.
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-04-30
- Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-31

## Summary

**Would let contract physicians perform VA medical disability examinations nationwide and make that authority permanent.** It sets rules for who may do the exams, how they are paid, and requires a report to Congress on results. - Veterans: Veterans could have disability exams done by contracted clinicians rather than only VA employees. Contract examiners must be able to transmit any new medical evidence they find to the Secretary for use in the claim. - Contract health professionals: Licensed clinicians who are eligible for appointment to the Veterans Health Administration and not barred from practice in any State could perform exams anywhere in that State under a VA contract. They must hold an unrestricted license and meet contract requirements. - VA operations and funding: Expenses and travel for these contract exams would be reimbursed to Veterans Benefits Administration accounts from amounts available for payment of compensation and pensions. The bill ends the current pilot and requires the Secretary to report to Congress within 3 years on cost, timeliness, and thoroughness.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2025-04-30T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More VA disability exams by contractors: benefit, medium. If enacted, veterans applying for VA disability benefits would be able to get required medical exams from contract clinicians. The exams must be under contracts the Under Secretary for Benefits signs. A licensed clinician who could be appointed to certain VA health positions and is not barred from…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-2354: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-1260: Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2025
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-1533 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1533)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-2354: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2354)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-1260: Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1260)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1533 (as of 2026-10-31).