Govwatch

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10648 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10648

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish inpatient 
treatment under the Veterans Community Care Program for a mental health 
                   condition, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 1, 2026

 Ms. Boebert introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish inpatient 
treatment under the Veterans Community Care Program for a mental health 
                   condition, 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' Mental Health Access 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FURNISHING OF INPATIENT TREATMENT FOR A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION 
              UNDER THE VETERANS COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall furnish 
covered care to a covered veteran.
    (b) Timeline.--The Secretary shall furnish covered care under 
subsection (a) not later than 24 hours after the covered veteran 
requests covered care or a health care provider prescribes covered care 
to the covered veteran.
    (c) Report.--Every six months, the Secretary shall publish on a 
website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a report regarding the 
wait time for a veteran seeking covered care furnished--
            (1) in a medical center of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs; or
            (2) under the Veterans Community Care Program.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered care'' means inpatient treatment for 
        a mental health condition, including post-traumatic stress 
        disorder, depression, or substance abuse, furnished--
                    (A) in a medical center of the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs; or
                    (B) under the Veterans Community Care Program.
            (2) The term ``covered facility'' means, with respect to a 
        covered veteran, the medical center or hospital of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs--
                    (A) that is closest to the residence of the covered 
                veteran; and
                    (B) where the Secretary furnishes covered care 
                sought by the covered veteran.
            (3) The term ``covered veteran'' means a veteran described 
        in section 1703(b) of title 38, United States Code.
            (4) The term ``Veterans Community Care Program'' means the 
        program established by section 1703(a) of title 38, United 
        States Code.
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Veterans’ Mental Health Access Act

Full Text
