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Veterans Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program under which the Department of Veterans Affairs refers veterans experiencing mental health crises to approved non-Department mental health care providers, and for other purposes.
Summary
The bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a three-year pilot program at three or more locations where VA Vet Centers and medical facilities refer veterans experiencing mental health crises to approved non-VA mental health care providers. The VA must develop a referral system to connect veterans with non-VA providers within one week, establish approval criteria for participating providers, hire necessary staff, and provide training to VA employees on the referral process. The VA must submit annual reports to Congress containing the number of referrals made, average wait times for care, and veteran satisfaction ratings. The bill authorizes $3 million in funding for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2027, and requires a final report within 180 days after the pilot program concludes with recommendations on whether to expand or modify the referral system.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Vern Buchanan’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- SELECT MEDICAL CORPORATION $43,200
- FLORIDA CRYSTALS $16,100
- DERICK DERMATOLOGY $13,200
- BLACKSTONE $8,100
- CASL $7,609
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Vern Buchanan → · Outside spending →
Actions (3)
- Mar 14, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. · house
- Feb 13, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · house
- Feb 13, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 13, 2025
Mr. Buchanan (for himself and Mr. Murphy) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program under which the Department of Veterans Affairs refers veterans experiencing mental health crises to approved non-Department mental health care providers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Veterans Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM ON MENTAL HEALTH REFERRALS.
(a) Pilot Program.—Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a three-year pilot program under which Vet Centers and medical facilities of the Department provide veterans experiencing mental health crises with referrals to non-Department mental health care providers approved by the Secretary.
(b) Locations.—The Secretary shall select at least three geographic locations at which to carry out the pilot program required under subsection (a).
(c) Requirements.—In carrying out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—
(1) develop and maintain a referral system to connect veterans experiencing mental health crises with non-Department mental health care providers within one week;
(2) develop criteria for the approval of non-Department mental health care providers for purposes of referrals under the program;
(3) hire any additional employees required to facilitate referrals under the system; and
(4) provide appropriate training to employees of Vet Centers and medical facilities of the Department on the referral system.
(d) Reports.—
(1) Annual reports.—Not later than six months after the last day of each year during which the Secretary carries out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation and outcomes of the pilot program. Each such report shall include the following for the year covered by the report:
(A) The number of veterans referred to non- Department mental health care providers under the pilot program.
(B) The average wait time for a veteran to receive mental health care after receiving a referral under the pilot program.
(C) An evaluation of veteran satisfaction with the mental health care received through the referral system.
(2) Final report.—Not later than 180 days after the conclusion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a final report containing an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and the recommendations of the Secretary with respect to expanding or modifying the referral system developed under the program.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the pilot program required under subsection
(a) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2027. <all>
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