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S3466119th CongressWALLET

Honor Our Promise to Veterans Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

Introduced

Summary

Shorter waits and stronger oversight for VA community care. This bill would set firm scheduling deadlines, expand public wait-time and provider reporting, tighten vetting and training for non-VA providers, and boost hiring, pay, and capital planning across the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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  • Veterans and families: Would require non-urgent VA appointments to be scheduled within 7 days and urgent care completed within 48 hours, and would publish weekly wait-time and driving-time information for VA and non-VA options.
  • Community providers and TPAs: Would impose ongoing integrity checks, require military sexual trauma and other core training, publish weekly provider lists and training status, and give the VA authority to suspend or terminate contracts for serious noncompliance.
  • VA staff and recruitment: Would expand pay and incentive authorities, grant broader practice authority for certain clinicians, standardize hiring and telework rules, and create education programs with an $80,000 lifetime scholarship cap and a separate debt-reduction option up to $40,000 for qualifying employees.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.

Scholarships and loan relief for VA staff

If enacted, the bill would create scholarships and a lump-sum loan payoff program for medical support assistants and a separate scholarship program for VA infrastructure trades and engineers. Scholarships would be capped at $20,000 per full-time school year and $80,000 lifetime. Lump-sum loan payments would be up to $40,000 (or the outstanding balance if less). The VA would also pay required licensure and certification exam fees for covered scholarship recipients.

Big VA construction and resilience funding

If enacted, the bill would authorize multi‑billion dollar appropriations for VA construction and extended care grants across FY2026–FY2037. Examples: minor construction funds rise to $5 billion per year by FY2030; major construction rises to $7 billion per year by FY2031–FY2037; extended care grants rise to $300M–$600M annually through FY2036. The bill would also require new local capital asset offices, regular reporting to Congress, land acquisition authority for major projects in the VA plan and budget, and a two‑year resilience assessment of mission‑critical assets.

Higher pay and job rules for VA staff

If enacted, the bill would raise the annual incentive pay cap for VA pharmacist executives from $40,000 to $100,000 and clarify special pay rules for VHA nurse executives. It would let VA grant full practice authority to certain clinicians consistent with training and law and treat psychologists as Title 38 employees and scarce specialists. The bill would add VA police officers to federal law enforcement retirement rules, let incumbents elect retroactive treatment (with deposit rules), and pause mandatory separation for three years.

Protect veterans from surprise medical bills

If enacted, the bill would require non-VA providers to submit claims to VA within one year after care is given. If a provider files later than one year, the provider would be barred from billing the veteran for that care. The VA could suspend providers suspected of fraudulent claims.

Faster hiring and more telework

If enacted, the bill would require the VA to use a standardized nationwide hiring process with time windows and automatic approvals if steps run late. The VA would set time-to-fill goals, allow tentative offers with pay rates, and permit some electronic hiring steps. The Secretary must issue a department-wide telework policy within 180 days that defaults to allowing telework except where duties require in-person work. The VA must also set staffing models and run an executive mentorship program and publish workforce data quarterly.

Faster VA appointments and transparency

If enacted, the bill would require VA non-urgent appointments be scheduled within 7 days and urgent care completed within 48 hours. The VA would update a public Access to Care website at least weekly with wait and drive times, national averages, and historical data. The bill would let VA telehealth count toward access standards but limit community telehealth except where VA telehealth is unavailable or slower. The Secretary would need to meet many of these rules within 180 days and report to Congress quarterly on trends.

Stronger rules for community providers

If enacted, the bill would require TPAs and the VA to run automated monthly checks to keep excluded or ineligible community providers out of VA networks. It would require mandatory training for community providers (existing providers must finish within one year) and an "MST Aware" rating for providers who complete MST training. The VA Inspector General would get broader audit powers, and the VA could terminate contracts or list ineligible entities publicly for serious noncompliance. TPAs must publish weekly provider lists and annual waiver overviews.

VA compensation for community-care harm

If enacted, the bill would expand VA §1151 to cover disability or death caused by community care when the proximate cause was provider fault or an unforeseeable event. The bill would require civil judgments against non-VA providers to be reduced by any VA §1151 compensation paid. The VA Inspector General would also review dialysis care and require remediation and possible financial penalties for violations.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

CT • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 12/11/2025

  • Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]

    ME • I

    Sponsored 12/11/2025

  • Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 12/11/2025

  • Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]

    HI • D

    Sponsored 12/11/2025

  • Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]

    VT • I

    Sponsored 12/11/2025

  • Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]

    WA • D

    Sponsored 12/11/2025

  • Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 12/11/2025

  • Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 12/16/2025

  • Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]

    RI • D

    Sponsored 12/16/2025

  • Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]

    WI • D

    Sponsored 12/17/2025

  • Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 1/27/2026

  • Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 2/24/2026

  • Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/28/2026

  • Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 9/29/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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