# 119-s-609: BRAVE Act of 2025

119-s-609, BRAVE Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-31).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-609
- 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-609
- Congress: 119
- Title: BRAVE Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-18
- Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-31

## Summary

**Would boost staffing, outreach, and technology for VA Vet Centers and Readjustment Counseling Service to expand mental health access, with special focus on women veterans and transitioning service members.** It would set pay studies, credentialing flexibilities, pilot programs, and timed reports to guide expansion and improve coordination across VA and the Department of Defense.

## Cosponsors (4)

- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2026-01-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2026-04-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Better suicide risk checks and outreach: benefit, medium. If enacted, VA would change REACH VET within 60 days to weight risk factors for women, like military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence. VA would also be required to offer at least one mental health consultation each year to veterans receiving compensation for service‑connected mental heal…
- Spinal cord residential pilot: benefit, medium. If enacted, VA would submit a plan within 60 days to expand residential mental health care for veterans with spinal cord injuries or disorders, including staffing and equipment needs. VA would start a pilot at not fewer than three VA medical facilities within 120 days and must report on the pilot w…
- Easier hiring for VA counselors: benefit, low. If enacted, VA would be allowed to temporarily waive state licensure for licensed professional mental health counselors and permit flexible appointment timing for psychologists as recommended by the Under Secretary for Health. This would help VA hire clinicians faster and may reduce wait times for…
- Vet Center outreach data guidance: benefit, low. If enacted, VA would give each Vet Center demographic data for its service area and issue guidance and metrics to measure outreach effectiveness within 180 days. VA would also set up processes to study and address barriers veterans and staff face in using Vet Center services.
- Larger community suicide grants: benefit, low. If enacted, the Parker Gordon Fox grant cap would increase from $750,000 to $1,000,000 per award and the program term would extend from three years to six years. This would let eligible community groups seek larger grants to provide suicide‑prevention services for veterans.

## Related bills

- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-609 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/609)

## Related
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2523)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-609 (as of 2026-10-31).