Derek Schmidt (R-KS)
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the availability of care for veterans at facilities of the Department of Defense.
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
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
This bill directs the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement action plans to improve the availability of care for veterans at Department of Defense facilities. These plans will strengthen resource sharing, improve communication, and increase the utilization of military medical treatment facilities that have excess capacity. The bill requires the establishment of coordinators, patient complaint mechanisms, and oversight plans to handle adverse medical events. Additionally, it mandates that the departments submit these action plans and annual joint briefings to the appropriate committees of Congress. The provisions in this section will terminate on September 30, 2028.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +7
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill improves the availability and coordination of healthcare services for veterans through inter-agency cooperation.
- Scored +7
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill increases access to care for enrolled veterans by utilizing excess capacity in military medical treatment facilities.
- Scored +7
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill enhances veteran care through improved resource sharing, communication, and information technology integration between the DoD and VA.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Under section 1(a)(1)(E), the bill increases access to care for enrolled veterans in areas where a military medical treatment facility has excess capacity or space, which can help veterans get medical attention more easily.
-
Under section 1(a)(2)(A), the bill provides for the cross-credentialing and privileging of health care providers to jointly care for enrolled veterans in medical facilities of both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
-
Under section 1(a)(2)(B), the bill establishes expedited access to Department of Defense installations for staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs and enrolled veterans.
-
Under section 1(c)(2), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must maintain a list of sharing agreements on a publicly available website, keeping the public informed about available medical resources.
-
Under section 1(d)(1), the bill establishes a secure complaint process for enrolled veterans that protects confidentiality, prohibits retaliation, and ensures transmission of complaints to both departments.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Under section 1(d)(4), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may suspend referrals of veterans to a specific provider or facility pending the resolution of an investigation relating to conduct under an action plan, which could temporarily disrupt a veteran's ongoing medical care options.
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 bill improves the availability and coordination of healthcare services for veterans through inter-agency cooperation.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill increases access to care for enrolled veterans by utilizing excess capacity in military medical treatment facilities.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill enhances veteran care through improved resource sharing, communication, and information technology integration between the DoD and VA.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the maintenance of a publicly available website listing all active health care sharing agreements.
- 12/18/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- 12/10/2025
- Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Sarah ElfrethDemocrat · Maryland