Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025
Floor Speech
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Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 1107, the Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act of 2025.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation is pretty simple. I argue that it is a very commonsense bill. Most importantly, it is vital. It ensures that our veterans, whether they live in the heart of our largest cities or in the most rural, remote communities, have uninterrupted access to the healthcare that they have earned.
I thank my good friend Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Takano for their support in advancing this bill as one part of the effort to support our veterans.
I also thank my friend Mark Berry, a former adjutant general for the great State of Arkansas and a former State representative, for his advocacy on behalf of our veterans on this issue. Mark brought this to my attention, and I wouldn't be standing here today without his encouragement.
In 2008, Congress passed the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act to address the rise of rogue online pill mills and the potential for abuse in prescribing controlled substances. At the time, it was the right step to safeguard public health. Yet, the world of 2008 is not the world of today, and the law has not kept pace with the realities of modern medicine or the unique needs of our veterans.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person requirement for prescribing controlled substances under the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act was temporarily waived. This flexibility allowed VA doctors and specialists to reach veterans where they are through secure, effective telemedicine. The Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services have continued to extend this waiver. Yet, without further action, it will expire at the end of this year.
My bill would permanently extend the exemption for VA healthcare professionals with the appropriate safeguards so that they can continue to prescribe medically necessary treatments to veterans via telemedicine.
For veterans in our urban communities, letting this waiver expire means longer wait times, fewer appointment slots, and even more strain on an already overburdened VA system.
For veterans in rural America, the consequences are even more serious. Many of these men and women live hours away from the nearest VA provider. For them, the exemption has meant timely care without the cost and hardship of traveling hundreds of miles for a single appointment.
Mr. Speaker, this is not just a matter of convenience. It is a matter of necessity. It is about ensuring that every veteran, regardless of where they live, has equal access to the care that they have earned through their service and sacrifice to this Nation. Our veterans have given this Nation their best. It is our duty to give them our best in return.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and to act swiftly to make sure that our veterans never see their care delayed, denied, or diminished because of outdated laws.
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