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Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025
Summary
This bill modifies temporary regulations for contract health care professionals who conduct medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs. It expands the types of health care professionals eligible for this work by using a broader eligibility definition and requires that they have current, unrestricted licenses and not be barred from practice in any State. The bill delays the sunset of these temporary provisions from 2025 to September 30, 2031. The Department of Veterans Affairs must report to Congress within 15 months on how this authority has been used, including the number and cost of examinations, geographic distribution, and any errors in implementation.
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)
2 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Juan Ciscomani’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Juan Ciscomani → · Outside spending →
Actions (16)
- Sep 16, 2025 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · senate
- Sep 15, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
- Sep 15, 2025 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4289) · house
- Sep 15, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4289: 1)
- Sep 15, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3951. · house
- Sep 15, 2025 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4289) · house
- Sep 15, 2025 Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. · house
- Sep 9, 2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 215. · house
- Sep 9, 2025 Reported by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-259. · house
- Jul 23, 2025 Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote. · house
- Jul 23, 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- Jul 3, 2025 Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Discharged · house
- Jun 24, 2025 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
- Jun 23, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. · house
- Jun 12, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · house
- Jun 12, 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 (4)
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
AN ACT
To amend the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 “Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TEMPORARY LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACT HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WHO PERFORM MEDICAL DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Expansion.—Section 504 of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), as amended by paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of section 2002 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), is further amended, subject to the sunset in paragraph (4) of such subsection, by striking paragraph (2) of subsection (c) and inserting the following:
“(2) Health care professional described.—A health care professional described in this paragraph is a person who is eligible for appointment to a position in the Veterans Health Administration covered by section 7402(b) of title 38, United States Code, who—
“(A) has a current and unrestricted license to practice the health care profession of the health care professional;
“(B) is not barred from practicing such health care profession in any State; and
“(C) is performing authorized duties for the Department pursuant to a contract entered into under subsection (a).”.
(b) Delayed Sunset of Amendment.—Paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of section 2002 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended by striking “On the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act” and inserting “On September 30, 2031”.
(c) Conforming Amendment.—Paragraph (2) of such subsection is amended by striking “physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists” and inserting “health care professionals”.
(d) Report.—Not later than 15 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report regarding the use of the authority under section 504 of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), as temporarily amended by section 2002(a)(1) of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note) and this section. Such report shall include, with respect to the one-year period after the date of the enactment of this Act, the following elements:
(1) The number of examinations conducted pursuant to a contract under such authority.
(2) The cost, timeliness, and legal adequacy of such examinations, disaggregated by—
(A) health care professional; and
(B) contract.
(3) The number of such examinations conducted in each State, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(4) The numbers of each kind of health care professionals who conducted such examinations.
(5) The number of examinations that were erroneously conducted by a health care professional—
(A) without such a contract; or
(B) unauthorized to enter into such a contract.
(6) The plan of the Secretary to correct errors in the use of such authority.
Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2025.
Attest:
Clerk. 119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3951
AN ACT
To amend the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
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