HR740119th CongressWALLET

Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Bost

In Committee

Summary

Faster, clearer access to VA community care and mental health treatment. This bill would set measurable drive‑time and wait‑time standards for community care, tighten timelines and appeals for denials, and standardize rapid screening and admission for residential mental health programs.

Show full summary
  • Veterans and households: Veterans would get written notice of eligibility within two business days and VA would have to schedule primary, mental health, and most extended care within a 30‑minute average drive and 20 days of request. Specialty care would be scheduled within a 60‑minute drive and 28 days.
  • Mental health patients and families: The bill would require a standardized clinical screen within 48 hours of an admission request and admission of priority cases within 48 hours of determination. Placement must weigh veteran preferences and proximity to social supports and VA must offer accredited non‑VA options and transportation help if it cannot meet standards.
  • Providers and VA modernization: Provider claim deadlines would extend from 180 days to 1 year. The bill would reform the Center for Innovation with a required budget line item, create a three‑year pilot in at least five sites to allow outpatient mental health and substance use care without referrals, and require an interactive online self‑service appointment and appeals tool with a plan due in 180 days.

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Faster non‑VA care choices for veterans

This bill would let covered veterans use non‑VA care when VA cannot meet set drive‑time or wait‑time standards. Primary care, mental health, and most extended care would need a VA appointment within 30 minutes driving time and within 20 days of the request. Specialty care would need a VA appointment within 60 minutes driving time and within 28 days of the request. VA would have to notify eligible veterans in writing within two business days after learning the veteran seeks care.

Faster residential mental‑health admissions

This bill would require VA to set a standard clinical screening process within one year for residential mental health and substance use care. Veterans must be screened within 48 hours of a request and, if eligible for priority admission, admitted within 48 hours of that decision. If VA cannot admit a veteran in time, the veteran would be offered accredited, contracted non‑VA residential care and VA would help with or reimburse transportation. VA would also have to notify denials in writing within two business days and decide clinical appeals within 72 hours.

Online tools and direct mental‑health pilot

This bill would require VA to build an interactive online module so veterans can request appointments, track VA and non‑VA referrals, get appointment reminders, and appeal denials. The plan for that tool would be due within 180 days and VA would send quarterly updates for two years. The bill would also start a three‑year pilot, in at least five locations, letting enrolled veterans get outpatient mental health and substance use care without referral or pre‑authorization at pilot sites.

Stronger VA innovation center oversight

This bill would place the VA Center for Innovation in the Office of the Secretary and make several of its authorities mandatory. The Center would need a budget line item in VA budget documents and must report to Congress at least once a year on activities and outcomes. The Center could use specified waivers and would expand required participants and reporting.

More time for providers to file claims

This bill would give health‑care entities and providers up to one year to submit VA prompt‑payment claims instead of the current 180 days. The change would be effective upon enactment and would not change payment rates.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Bost

IL • R

Cosponsors

  • Gonzales, Tony

    TX • R

    Sponsored 9/9/2025

  • Carter (GA)

    GA • R

    Sponsored 9/9/2025

  • Van Drew

    NJ • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2025

  • DesJarlais

    TN • R

    Sponsored 9/15/2025

  • Yakym

    IN • R

    Sponsored 9/15/2025

  • Massie

    KY • R

    Sponsored 9/16/2025

  • Hinson

    IA • R

    Sponsored 9/18/2025

  • Thompson (MS)

    MS • D

    Sponsored 10/3/2025

  • Feenstra

    IA • R

    Sponsored 10/6/2025

  • Collins

    GA • R

    Sponsored 10/17/2025

  • Lawler

    NY • R

    Sponsored 10/17/2025

  • Bergman

    MI • R

    Sponsored 1/28/2025

  • Hamadeh (AZ)

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 1/28/2025

  • Miller-Meeks

    IA • R

    Sponsored 1/28/2025

  • Barrett

    MI • R

    Sponsored 1/28/2025

  • Kiggans (VA)

    VA • R

    Sponsored 1/28/2025

  • Del. King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [R-MP-At Large]

    MP • R

    Sponsored 1/28/2025

  • Bilirakis

    FL • R

    Sponsored 2/4/2025

  • Murphy

    NC • R

    Sponsored 2/4/2025

  • Van Orden

    WI • R

    Sponsored 2/4/2025

  • Franklin, Scott

    FL • R

    Sponsored 2/5/2025

  • Biggs (SC)

    SC • R

    Sponsored 2/10/2025

  • Crenshaw

    TX • R

    Sponsored 2/24/2025

  • Webster (FL)

    FL • R

    Sponsored 2/25/2025

  • Pfluger

    TX • R

    Sponsored 3/3/2025

  • Luttrell

    TX • R

    Sponsored 3/14/2025

  • McDowell

    NC • R

    Sponsored 3/14/2025

  • Haridopolos

    FL • R

    Sponsored 3/21/2025

  • Del. Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [R-AS-At Large]

    AS • R

    Sponsored 3/21/2025

  • Begich

    AK • R

    Sponsored 3/24/2025

  • Miller (OH)

    OH • R

    Sponsored 3/25/2025

  • Mace

    SC • R

    Sponsored 3/31/2025

  • Rutherford

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/1/2025

  • Tenney

    NY • R

    Sponsored 4/1/2025

  • Ciscomani

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 4/8/2025

  • Moore (NC)

    NC • R

    Sponsored 4/9/2025

  • Downing

    MT • R

    Sponsored 4/10/2025

  • Stauber

    MN • R

    Sponsored 4/29/2025

  • Baumgartner

    WA • R

    Sponsored 4/30/2025

  • Fry

    SC • R

    Sponsored 5/5/2025

  • Malliotakis

    NY • R

    Sponsored 5/6/2025

  • Kustoff

    TN • R

    Sponsored 5/6/2025

  • Fischbach

    MN • R

    Sponsored 5/7/2025

  • Timmons

    SC • R

    Sponsored 5/8/2025

  • James

    MI • R

    Sponsored 5/19/2025

  • Amodei (NV)

    NV • R

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Lee (FL)

    FL • R

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • De La Cruz

    TX • R

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Messmer

    IN • R

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Fine

    FL • R

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Biggs (AZ)

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 6/27/2025

  • Finstad

    MN • R

    Sponsored 6/27/2025

  • Strong

    AL • R

    Sponsored 6/30/2025

  • Fallon

    TX • R

    Sponsored 7/2/2025

  • Rulli

    OH • R

    Sponsored 7/14/2025

  • Stutzman

    IN • R

    Sponsored 7/23/2025

  • Taylor

    OH • R

    Sponsored 8/5/2025

  • Crank

    CO • R

    Sponsored 8/5/2025

  • Schmidt

    KS • R

    Sponsored 9/2/2025

  • Nunn (IA)

    IA • R

    Sponsored 9/2/2025

  • Buchanan

    FL • R

    Sponsored 9/3/2025

  • Williams (TX)

    TX • R

    Sponsored 9/3/2025

  • McGuire

    VA • R

    Sponsored 9/9/2025

  • Westerman

    AR • R

    Sponsored 9/10/2025

  • Ezell

    MS • R

    Sponsored 9/16/2025

  • Crane

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 10/6/2025

  • Shreve

    IN • R

    Sponsored 10/8/2025

  • Fields

    LA • D

    Sponsored 10/14/2025

  • Langworthy

    NY • R

    Sponsored 10/28/2025

  • Hunt

    TX • R

    Sponsored 10/31/2025

  • Mills

    FL • R

    Sponsored 10/31/2025

  • Joyce (PA)

    PA • R

    Sponsored 11/7/2025

  • McCormick

    GA • R

    Sponsored 1/7/2026

  • Hurd (CO)

    CO • R

    Sponsored 2/2/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov

Related Bills

Back to Legislation

Take It Personal

Get Your Personalized Policy View

Create a free account to save research, track policy impacts, and unlock your personalized versions of these pages.

Already have an account? Sign in