[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1972 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1972

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the period during 
which the referral of a veteran, made by a health care provider of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, to a non-Department provider, for care 
   or services under the Community Care Program of such Department, 
                             remains valid.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 10, 2025

Mrs. Miller-Meeks introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the period during 
which the referral of a veteran, made by a health care provider of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, to a non-Department provider, for care 
   or services under the Community Care Program of such Department, 
                             remains valid.

    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 ``Standardizing Treatment and Referral 
Times Act of 2025'' or the ``START Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PERIOD DURING WHICH A REFERRAL UNDER THE 
              COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS REMAINS VALID.

    Section 1703(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(E) Ensuring that the period during which the referral of 
        a covered veteran, made by a health care provider of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, to a non-Department provider, 
        for care or services under this section, is valid, begins on 
        the day that the covered veteran has the first appointment with 
        such non-Department provider.''.
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