A Democratic bill with 6 Democratic cosponsors · See all 6 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Have You Served Act" directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide grants to States and American Indian or Alaska Native tribes. These grants fund "Ask the Question Campaigns" to train human services professionals, local governments, and community providers to ask consumers if they or a loved one served in the Armed Forces. The goal is to refer veterans to available resources through the Department of Veterans Affairs and other providers. The bill also requires the Secretary to coordinate similar campaigns across Federal agencies.
Yes· 3 of 15
- Scored +9
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The primary target group, gaining better access to healthcare, suicide prevention, and benefits.
- Scored +8
Does this help veterans get medical care?
Increases the identification of veterans in need of care and refers them to VA health services.
- Scored +7
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
Facilitates veterans' access to the benefits they are entitled to through improved referral systems.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Access to Resources: By training professionals to ask about military service and providing information on available resources, veterans and their loved ones may be more likely to be referred to the Department of Veterans Affairs and other service providers (Section 2(b)(1)(B)).
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Veteran Suicide Prevention: Grants are available to entities that develop veteran suicide prevention plans, such as "Governors Challenge Action Plans" for States or similar plans for tribes (Section 2(c)).
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Technical Support for Communities: The Secretary provides eligible entities with best practices, veterans resource information, and screening protocols for suicide risk and social determinants of health (Section 2(d)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limited Grant Availability: The Secretary may only make up to 25 grants per fiscal year from 2026 through 2030, which may limit the number of entities and people who can benefit from the program (Section 2(e)).
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Funding Caps: Individual grants are capped at an amount not exceeding $200,000, which may limit the scale of the campaigns (Section 2(e)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The primary target group, gaining better access to healthcare, suicide prevention, and benefits. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Explicitly provides grants to American Indian and Alaska Native tribes for these campaigns. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Low-income veterans are more likely to rely on VA services and benefit from these referrals. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Training local community providers in rural areas increases access to distant VA resources. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Many veterans with disabilities will be better connected to VA support services. Would retired people be better off under this? — Retired veterans benefit from increased awareness and referral to available resources. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Older veterans may benefit significantly from increased referrals to VA healthcare and resources. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Provides a benefit for middle-class veterans seeking specific resources.
- Healthcare
- Does this help veterans get medical care? — Increases the identification of veterans in need of care and refers them to VA health services. Does this make mental health care easier to get? — Provides grants for suicide prevention plans and training to refer veterans to health resources. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Improves access for veterans by training human services professionals to identify and refer them to resources.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — Facilitates veterans' access to the benefits they are entitled to through improved referral systems.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — Referring veterans to VA resources often includes pathways to housing assistance. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Connecting veterans to available resources can help reduce poverty among the veteran population.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Directs the Secretary of VA to coordinate campaigns across all Federal agencies.
- 11/11/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/9/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/17/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/12/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 11/10/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana
Stephen LynchDemocrat · Massachusetts
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Terri SewellDemocrat · Alabama
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Shri ThanedarDemocrat · Michigan