VETS Access Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10555 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10555

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
    Veterans Affairs to provide care, treatment, and rehabilitative 
services to veterans suffering from serious mental illness and veterans 
 who are homeless, regardless of whether such veteran is eligible for 
 hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 24, 2026

    Mr. Golden of Maine (for himself and Mr. Lawler) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
    Veterans Affairs to provide care, treatment, and rehabilitative 
services to veterans suffering from serious mental illness and veterans 
 who are homeless, regardless of whether such veteran is eligible for 
 hospital, nursing home, and domiciliary care, 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 ``Veterans Emergency Treatment and 
Shelter Access Act'' or the ``VETS Access Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR TREATMENT OF VETERANS SUFFERING FROM SERIOUS 
              MENTAL ILLNESS AND VETERANS WHO ARE HOMELESS.

    (a) Eligibility.--Section 2031 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Notwithstanding the requirements of section 1710 of this 
title, the Secretary may provide care, treatment, and rehabilitative 
services (directly or by contract in community-based treatment 
facilities, including halfway houses) to veterans suffering from 
serious mental illness and veterans who are homeless, regardless of 
whether such veteran is eligible for hospital, nursing home, and 
domiciliary care under such section.''.
    (b) Applicable Definition of Veteran.--Section 2002(b) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting ``2031,'' after ``2013,''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
                                 <all>