Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
Sponsored By: Representative Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Introduced
Summary
Expanded veterans benefits and major VA modernization investments that broaden survivor protections, raise some disability-related payments, and fund claims, health, and construction reforms. This bill would add new grants, pilots, automation, and appeals changes to speed processing and widen care options for veterans.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
44 provisions identified: 32 benefits, 0 costs, 12 mixed.
Extra aid and attendance payment
If enacted, eligible veterans would receive a supplemental monthly allowance of $833.33 in addition to their existing aid and attendance payment. The extra payment would apply for months beginning on or after December 1, 2026. You must be eligible for the aid and attendance allowance to get this supplement.
More pay for some combat retirees
If enacted, members retired under chapter 61 with a combat‑related disability could receive both their chapter 61 retired pay and VA disability compensation without the usual offsets. Career retirees with 20 or more years would get the retired pay they would have had plus VA compensation. The change would take effect January 1, 2027.
New community care rules and timelines
If enacted, the bill would set community care access and reporting rules. It would require scheduling standards and access reviews, yearly audits of who is eligible and how timely care is delivered, written eligibility and denial notices within five days, timely transfer of medical documentation, and automated checks to remove excluded providers. VA must report to Congress on implementation and results over multiple years.
Survivor benefits and death reporting fixes
If enacted, surviving spouses who remarry would not lose Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) or Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities under the specified provisions. For spouses who remarried before age 55 and before enactment, annuity payments would resume one year after enactment or earlier in some cases. The VA must require timely clinician certification of natural deaths within two business days and report on compliance annually for five years. VA must send an annual veteran death causes report to Congress for five years. The American Battle Monuments Commission would run a five‑year program with one‑year nonprofit contracts of $500,000 to find and contact survivors of covered servicemembers.
New rules for sleep apnea and tinnitus
If enacted, new VA disability rules would rate sleep apnea at 0%, 10%, 50%, or 100% depending on symptoms, treatment effectiveness, and end‑organ damage. Tinnitus would no longer usually get a separate compensable rating except a 10% rating when tied to service‑connected hearing loss that is otherwise noncompensable. These rules apply to claims filed after enactment and may not reduce benefits that were in effect the day before enactment.
VA home loan fees and eligibility
If enacted, VA loan fees would rise in some cases. The fee rate in one table entry would go from 0.50% to 1.42% and another from 0.50% to 1.00%. The bill would also treat some Reserve and National Guard members who did at least 14 days of active duty and then finished entry-level and skill training as veterans for home-loan purposes for service on or after Sept. 11, 2001. If your loan eligibility exists only because of that new rule, an extra 1.00 percentage-point loan fee would apply. The fee increases are one-time charges at loan closing.
Big changes to VA buying and budgets
If enacted, VA must use a new standard process for defining and validating requirements for major acquisition programs that cost over $200 million a year or $1 billion lifecycle. The Secretary must submit an implementation plan within 180 days and generally use existing staff unless a validated cost‑benefit test supports hiring. VA could accept donated construction or maintenance work under strict agreements and would have to report on preventing waste in capital projects within one year. The law would create an Under Secretary for Management who is also the Chief Financial Officer and a small Budget and Appropriations Affairs office with up to six staff.
Faster, clearer VA claims and notices
If enacted, the bill would push VA to speed and clarify claims handling. VA must make a plan within one year to automate records retrieval, evidence compilation, and decision support and to fix document labeling. The VA would track many claim categories and provide automatic notices and assigned processors for certain child dependency and education changes. VA must get independent reviews to simplify claimant forms and notices and must ensure remands are substantially complied with or explained.
Better access: telehealth, travel, and vehicles
If enacted, covered VA clinicians could provide telemedicine and prescribe controlled substances across State lines for VA care. VA would not charge medication copays for opioid antagonists for veterans at high overdose risk and would exempt certain telemedicine prescriptions up to 30 days when a clinician would have prescribed more than seven days. The VA would treat many automobile adaptations and recreational adaptive prostheses as medical services when clinically needed. VA would expand transportation grants with a $50,000 base cap, allow up to 50% more for certain off‑road counties, and permit up to $80,000 extra for ADA vehicles. Fisher House lodging would be open on a space‑available basis to covered beneficiaries and supporting family members.
Better MST help and stronger protections
If enacted, veterans filing claims for Military Sexual Trauma would get written notices with local MST coordinator contacts, VA health and benefits resources, and crisis hotlines. Filing an MST compensation claim would create a connection to VA health care. VA must not deny an MST claim without first telling the veteran what evidence would count and giving the veteran time to provide it. The VA must set up a working group to review MST outreach for sensitivity and require specialized teams and quality reviews for MST claims.
Care for veterans in Pacific partners
If enacted, VA would offer telehealth medical services and mail‑order prescriptions to veterans living in the Freely Associated States. VA must start outreach within 30 days, enter agreements within one year, and begin services within one year. VA would report quarterly to Congress on costs and implementation until services begin and quarterly thereafter.
Grants to nonprofit mental health clinics
If enacted, VA would run a three-year pilot to give grants to eligible nonprofit outpatient mental health providers to deliver evidence‑based care in person or by telehealth. Grants would generally be capped at $1.5 million per facility per year and Congress authorized $20 million for each of fiscal years 2027–2029. Clinics receiving grants could not charge eligible veterans fees for grant-funded care.
More job and health help for caregivers
If enacted, primary family caregivers would keep VA medical coverage for 180 days after leaving the program unless their designation was revoked for fraud or misconduct. The VA would provide employment help while in the program and during that 180-day period, including free training modules and job resources. Caregivers could get reimbursement for certification or relicensure fees up to $1,000 lifetime. The VA must study return-to-work programs and report to Congress, and the Comptroller General must assess VA efforts within two years.
More local care for rural veterans
If enacted, the VA would run new pilots and a study to expand rural access. The bill would fund a five-year pilot to let rural hospitals and clinics provide outpatient VA care and a five-year partnership pilot for co‑location, telehealth, and training with rural providers. The VA must also study rural veterans' wait times for disability exams within one year and propose fixes.
National VA prosthetics formulary
If enacted, the VA would make a national Prosthetic and Rehabilitative Items and Services Formulary and update it regularly. The VA must make listed items available at or through all VA sites, train staff, set up an exceptions and prior‑authorization process, and build an enterprise electronic ordering system within three years. The VA must report to Congress within two years and then every year.
New mTBI research grants and reviews
If enacted, the bill would create multi-year research programs and reviews to study mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and related treatments for veterans. It would fund a three-year grant program, hire an independent group to run trials and evaluations, and require annual reporting. The GAO and VA would also update and review evidence on hyperbaric oxygen therapy for TBI/PTSD.
Stricter rules for community care providers
If enacted, VA would add continuity of care and the veteran's need for an attendant as required factors when approving Veterans Community Care. The law would strengthen oversight of community providers, require government and OIG access to records, set grounds for suspension or termination for fraud or exclusions, and require quarterly reporting of suspensions to Congress. Providers would have a one‑year deadline to file claims and could not bill patients when they miss that deadline.
Stronger rules for residential mental health care
If enacted, the bill would create a new statutory pathway and standards for residential mental health and substance use disorder programs for veterans. VA would set standardized screening, placement rules, accreditation requirements, timely clinical appeals (72 hours), transport reimbursement, and provider training. The VA must also run pilots for spinal cord injury veterans, commission quality comparisons with non‑VA care, and run a one‑year pilot to provide opioid rescue medication free to veterans.
Telemedicine for controlled prescriptions
If enacted, VA clinicians would be able to prescribe certain controlled substances by telemedicine to eligible VA patients through September 30, 2031. Clinicians must review VA records and state prescription databases for the prior year and follow limits if those systems are unavailable (a 7‑day supply cap while unavailable and a 6‑month overall cap). VA must issue regulations, collect data, and report annually to Congress.
Updates to suicide prevention grants
If enacted, the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox suicide prevention grant program would be reauthorized through September 30, 2029. Grants could receive up to $250,000 more per grantee per year based on performance. Grantees would need to use specific screening tools, do pre‑ and post‑intervention assessments, coordinate with local VA mental health providers, and could pay for transportation for eligible individuals. The bill authorizes $200 million total for fiscal years 2027–2029.
VA online scheduling and self-service tools
If enacted, VA would build or improve electronic scheduling and a self-service module for enrolled veterans. The tools would let veterans request and schedule appointments, track referrals, compare wait and drive times, appeal denials, and view pending claims. VA must submit a plan within 180 days and implement the scheduling system within two years, with regular briefings to Congress.
VA‑Medicare care coordination pilot
If enacted, VA and HHS would run a 3‑year pilot in 3–5 regions to coordinate care and benefits for veterans who use both VA and Medicare. Each participating veteran would get a case manager and an individualized care plan. The pilot would focus on rural and underserved areas and measure quality, cost, access, and satisfaction.
Faster hiring and pay supports for VA staff
If enacted, VA would pay up to $1,000 per year to eligible full‑time clinicians for job-related continuing education and limit reimbursements to 50,000 people per year. The Secretary must set a standardized nationwide hiring process, allow electronic signatures after a standard is developed, and use delegation when approvers are unavailable. VA could expand which licensed clinicians may do contract disability exams and must let examiners add applicant‑provided evidence to claims files; that temporary authority would run through September 30, 2033 and VA must report within 15 months. VA must notify Congress and affected employees 60 days before any reduction in force and may set a mentorship program for medical center leaders with reports for several years.
Higher first-year apprenticeship payments
If enacted, first-year payments for full-time apprenticeships and on-the-job training paid with VA educational assistance would increase from 80% to 100% of the applicable full payment. That is a 20 percentage-point raise for the first year. The change would be effective upon enactment.
Stronger transition and job training programs
If enacted, the bill would standardize and expand preseparation counseling and transition programs. It would require minimum counseling time, create a standardized benefits presentation, and speed VA and DOL outreach for high‑need separations. The Comptroller General would study SkillBridge and the VA must boost use of acquisition internships to hire entry‑level acquisition staff.
Permanent VA donated facilities authority
If enacted, the VA would permanently be allowed to accept donated buildings and related improvements. Donations would have to match needs in the VA’s strategic capital plans, five-year development plans, facility master plans, or capital needs inventories. The bill removes the prior pilot label and makes the acceptance authority permanent.
Align VA and community provider training
If enacted, the bill would require the VA to write and submit a plan within 180 days to align training and incentives for VA and community care providers. The plan must set baseline training, online modules, continuing education, metrics, and corrective actions for non‑compliance. Implementation would begin within one year after the plan is submitted.
Community integration and SDoH pilot
If enacted, VA would start a pilot within 18 months to build an interoperable community integration platform that connects veterans to services for housing, food, jobs, caregiving, and more. The pilot must run at at least five VA sites, use standardized SDoH codes (ICD‑10 Z55–Z63, Z75) with veterans' written consent, and track referrals and outcomes. The VA must report results and the Comptroller General must evaluate the pilot.
Stronger VA–DoD research and sharing
If enacted, the bill would extend and tighten VA‑DoD health resource sharing rules and force more information and oversight when VA declines agreements. The Precision Medicine program would add low‑level blast exposure and dementia as research priorities and the VA must seek a National Academies contract within 180 days. A Blast Overpressure Task Force would be set up within 180 days to coordinate care and research and would report annually until September 30, 2029. The VA would also fund a descendants toxic‑exposure review and create a time‑limited monitoring program based on ATSDR work.
VA long‑term care needs report
If enacted, VA must report within one year on facility infrastructure needs for long‑term care by medical center. The report must list projects needed for specific veteran groups, estimated costs, and timelines once funding is available. VA must also explain how to prioritize projects that non‑VA providers cannot provide with appropriate quality or access.
VA hiring, staffing and telework rules
If enacted, the bill would force VA to plan and report more on workforce needs. VA must deliver a five‑year human capital plan by September 30, 2027 and update it yearly. The VA would set a telework policy within 180 days and give 90 days' notice before changes. The bill would require quarterly public staffing displays and new reorganization performance metrics and reporting.
Tightened VA construction and lease oversight
If enacted, the bill would increase oversight of VA building, capital projects, and leases. VA must run at least three pilot projects each year (FY2027–FY2031) to test commercial building codes. VA would include market and life‑cycle cost estimates in lease prospectuses and notify Congress if the lowest bid is more than 10% above approved rent, and VA must file frequent capital project reports after each fiscal year. VA must also give Congress a 10‑year facilities plan within one year and a two‑year R&D capital and IT needs report.
VA fee schedule for non‑VA providers
If enacted, VA would publish a public fee schedule within 180 days for care paid to non‑VA providers. The schedule must be based on Medicaid and commercial payment levels and guide VA payment rates for residential substance use disorder treatment. The VA could recoup payments that exceed the schedule, and recouped amounts may not be billed to veterans.
More GI Bill and student help
If enacted, the bill would change many VA education rules. VA would allow non‑VA staff to give on‑campus VetSuccess counseling and require at least one counselor in every State. Online or independent courses would only count if they have regular, substantive interaction; that rule starts for terms beginning on or after August 1, 2027. The bill would create a lump sum payment option and speed repayment timelines (payments due within 60 days), expand which education authorities may pay for licensing tests (with a required warning), and add a summer distance‑learning housing stipend for short summer courses.
Centralized VA car-seller payments
If enacted, the bill would centralize VA payments to automobile sellers in a single Department office and require tracking of overdue payments. VA would publish processing times if payments are not made within 30 days and would track and resolve invoices more than 90 days overdue. The law would remove the requirement to pay interest penalties for late payments, and GAO would review the centralization.
VA Center for Innovation pilots
If enacted, the bill would create a VA Center for Innovation to design and test new health care payment and delivery models for veterans. The Center would run scientifically valid evaluations and report results to Congress. A model could be expanded only if it reduces costs without lowering quality and the CFO certifies budget neutrality.
New VA director for cost estimates
If enacted, VA would create a Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation who reports to the Secretary. The Director would set cost-estimate policies, perform independent cost estimates for major acquisition programs before full-scale decisions, and evaluate program effectiveness. The Director would send an annual report listing where independent estimates exceeded budget requests by more than 5 percent. The VA Chief Financial Officer would provide support.
VA can buy space from affiliates
If enacted, the VA Secretary would be able to enter non-competitive contracts to acquire physical space or common services from institutions affiliated with the Department. The authority would apply only when obligations are funded from available appropriations or borne by the affiliated institution. For multi-year agreements, payments for each fiscal year would have to come from that year’s appropriations and agreements must state future payments depend on available appropriations. The bill defines terms like 'physical space' and 'common service.'
VA IT funding and acquisition reforms
If enacted, the bill would provide $500 million to VA's Office of Information and Technology for FY2026, split among logistics, cybersecurity, and communications/digital records. VA would consolidate acquisition and logistics offices under the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition within one year and must seek competitive IV&V contracts, but firms generally must show recent experience to be eligible. Funds cannot be used for broad expansion of the Electronic Health Record Modernization program.
Higher DIC tied to Social Security
If enacted, the VA would raise Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) amounts by the same percentage Social Security benefits increase by, plus one additional percentage point. The VA would publish the new DIC amounts with the Social Security Administration and the increase would take effect December 1, 2026. The authority ends after the third time VA applies this increase.
Lactation rooms at VA centers
If enacted, each VA medical center would be required to provide a hygienic, private lactation space that is accessible and clearly signed. At least 80% of centers must comply within two years and all centers must comply within three years. VA must report progress annually until all centers comply.
Study menopause care for women veterans
If enacted, VA would evaluate existing research on menopause, perimenopause, and mid‑life women's health for service members and veterans and identify gaps. VA must submit a report with recommendations and a strategic plan to Congress within 180 days. The work must avoid duplicating HHS efforts.
Changes to VA headstone and burial rules
If enacted, the bill would let VA provide headstones or markers for eligible veterans who died before November 11, 1998 by removing that date limitation. At the same time, VA would be barred from giving a headstone or interment benefit when it has already furnished an urn or commemorative plaque, except in narrow shared‑inscription or simultaneous interment cases. The restriction applies to individuals who died on or after January 5, 2021.
Faster, clearer VA appeals and reports
If enacted, VA would send an annual report to Congress on how long remanded claims stay pending and how many cases were advanced on the docket, including dismissals due to death and whether deaths were suicides. The Board would study and report within one year on questions that could benefit from precedential guidance and could aggregate appeals that share legal or factual issues after required policies are in place. The VA could not deny a claim solely because a veteran missed a VA‑provided exam.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
IL • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
FL • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Hudson
NC • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
NY • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]
WI • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1]
IA • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Murphy, Gregory F. [R-NC-3]
NC • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5]
VA • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7]
MI • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]
MI • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4]
IN • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]
PA • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Del. King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [R-MP-At Large]
MP • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]
VA • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]
AZ • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2]
AR • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Obernolte
CA • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Edwards
NC • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]
MI • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Taylor, David J. [R-OH-2]
OH • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16]
PA • R
Sponsored 6/10/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov