[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3951 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3951
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 12, 2025
Mr. Ciscomani (for himself, Ms. Perez, and Mr. Davis of North Carolina)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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
January 5, 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.
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