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S. 1912 · Where this bill is now

In committee

Introduced in the Senate, May 22, 2025

What this bill does

In plain words · AI-written from the official summary

Expands mental health care access for veterans

This bill makes sure veterans can get residential mental health and substance-use treatment through the VA's community care program when VA facilities are full or can't meet access standards. It also sets minimum standards for these community programs, like requiring them to be properly licensed and accredited. The VA also has to let veterans choose their preferred care option when multiple options exist.

How it affects you

If you're a veteran who needs residential mental health or substance-use treatment, this bill helps ensure you can access care sooner through community providers when the VA itself can't accommodate you quickly enough. You'd also have more say in which program treats you, and those programs would have to meet specific quality standards.

Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, May 22, 2025)

Protecting Veteran Community Care Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish residential mental health or substance-use services to certain veterans through the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). Specifically, the VA must furnish such care if a veteran (1) meets VA criteria for priority admission to a VA Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program and the VA is unable to accommodate priority admission, or (2) has contacted the VA to request such mental health services and the VA is not able to furnish such services in a manner that complies with VA access standards for specialty care provided under the VCCP.

The VA must ensure that a referral to an alternate Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program does not take precedence over timely access to mental health or substance-use services unless the referral is requested by the veteran.

The VA is prohibited from determining a veteran is ineligible for VCCP care solely because VCCP providers are unable to comply with wait times or access standards.

If multiple options for care or services are available, the VA must permit a veteran to elect the option the veteran prefers.

Additionally, the bill provides minimum standards for residential mental health or substance-use services provided under the VCCP (e.g., treatment programs or facilities must be licensed and accredited for the specified services).

Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.

119th Congress
1st SessionS. 1912

A BILL

Protecting Veteran Community Care Act

In the SenateNo vote yet

Sponsor: Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) · Introduced May 22, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security · 1 version of the text

Read the full billOfficial record on Congress.gov ↗

Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action May 22, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.”

Sections

Sections · 6