Rural Veterans' Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025
Floor Speech
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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3951
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.
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Mr. BOST. 3951, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3951, introduced by my colleague Representative Ciscomani from Arizona.
This bill would extend the license portability authority for contracted medical professionals conducting compensation and pension examinations for veterans until 2031. These exams are a vitally important part of going through the VA benefits process.
Veterans living in rural or underserved areas often need to travel far distances for their exams. Veterans in my district know this hurdle firsthand and the impact it can have on dragging out the timeline for them to receive their disability benefits.
Congress created the authority to expand the net for qualified, contracted medical professionals. By ensuring more contracted medical professionals can perform these exams, veterans would have greater access to their benefits closer to home.
Under current law, license portability only applies to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists. This bill would expand that authority to include even more providers who are eligible for employment at the VA to perform medical disability examinations. This is a necessary expansion to the VA's exam programs to get even more qualified people serving veterans.
I thank Representative Ciscomani for his leadership on this bill and his efforts to increase access to disability benefits for our Nation's veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 3951, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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