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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 13, 2025
Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act of 2025
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and implement the Food is Medicine pilot program, under which the VA must provide medically tailored meals and groceries, nutrition education, and cooking classes to certain veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. Specifically, the program is for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system who receive VA care for (1) multiple chronic conditions, or (2) maternal health and are at risk of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.
The three-year pilot program also requires the VA to (1) develop and seek to implement training programs for VA health care providers in integrating the program into the treatment plans of veterans, and (2) seek to collaborate with community-based organizations to procure locally sourced produce and expand the availability of medically tailored meals and groceries.
People & committees
Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] · R–FL
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 4, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-13 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act of 2025 would create a temporary Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program providing food tailored to medical needs, nutrition education and cooking classes. It would serve eligible veterans enrolled in VA care who receive care for multiple chronic conditions or maternal health care with specified pregnancy-related risks.
This Act may be cited as the Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act of 2025.
(A) administer medically-tailored meals and medically-tailored groceries; and (B) furnish nutrition education and cooking classes through a registered dieticians, nutritionists, and community health workers;
who is enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment established and operated under section 1705 of such section and— (1) receives health care furnished by the Department with respect to multiple chronic conditions, including diabetes, cancer, or heart failure; or (2) receives such health care with respect to maternal health, including prenatal care, labor and delivery care, postpartum care, and is at risk of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.
The authority of the Secretary to carry out the Food is Medicine program shall terminate on the date that is three years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
The bill would require the VA Secretary to establish and operate the Food is Medicine pilot program within 180 days after enactment. Authority to operate it would end three years after enactment.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish and carry out a pilot program (to be known as the Food is Medicine program).
The authority of the Secretary to carry out the Food is Medicine program shall terminate on the date that is three years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Eligibility would require veteran status under the cited federal definition and enrollment in the cited VA patient enrollment system. Veterans must also receive VA care either for multiple chronic conditions, with diabetes, cancer and heart failure listed as examples, or for maternal health while at risk of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.
An eligible veteran described in this subsection is a veteran (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code) who is enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment established and operated under section 1705 of such section and— (1) receives health care furnished by the Department with respect to multiple chronic conditions, including diabetes, cancer, or heart failure; or (2) receives such health care with respect to maternal health, including prenatal care, labor and delivery care, postpartum care, and is at risk of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.
The bill defines medically tailored groceries as nutritious food selected to match a person's treatment plan for a condition affected by diet. Medically tailored meals would be nutritious meals customized for someone with a severe chronic condition or difficulty performing daily living activities.
(1) The term medically-tailored groceries means nutritious food for an individual with a diet-sensitive condition curated to the treatment plan of such individual. (2) The term medically-tailored meals means nutritious meals customized for an individual with a severe chronic condition or limitation in activities of daily living.
For eligible veterans, the Secretary would administer medically tailored meals and groceries and provide nutrition education and cooking classes through registered dieticians, nutritionists and community health workers.
the Secretary shall, (1) with respect to eligible veterans described in subsection (c)— (A) administer medically-tailored meals and medically-tailored groceries; and (B) furnish nutrition education and cooking classes through a registered dieticians, nutritionists, and community health workers;
The Secretary would have to develop training for VA health care providers on integrating the program into veterans' treatment plans and seek to put that training into practice.
develop and seek to implement training programs for health care providers employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs with respect to the integration of the Food is Medicine program in the treatment plans of veterans receiving health care under the laws administered by the Secretary;
The Secretary would have to seek partnerships with community organizations, including food banks and local agriculture programs, to obtain fresh, locally sourced produce and expand access to medically tailored meals and groceries.
seek to collaborate with community-based organizations, including food banks and local agriculture programs, to— (A) procure fresh and locally-sourced produce; and (B) expand the availability of medically-tailored meals and medically-tailored groceries.
The Secretary would have to distribute pilot program offices across different geographic areas to the maximum extent practicable.
the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable ensure geographic diversity of the pilot program offices of the Food is Medicine program.
While program authority remained in effect, the Secretary would report annually to Congress on participation, health outcomes, physical and mental health, quality of life and use of VA health care. Reports would also evaluate effectiveness, estimate VA cost savings and recommend improvements. These are evaluation requirements, not evidence that the program would produce savings or better health.
During the period the authority to carry out the Food is Medicine program is effective, the Secretary shall submit to Congress an annual report on such program that includes— (1) the number of eligible veterans participating in such program; (2) with respect to such eligible veterans, a summary of— (A) health outcomes; (B) effects on physical and mental health; (C) quality of life; and (D) the extent of utilization of health care under the laws administered by the Secretary; (3) an evaluation of the effectiveness of such program, including estimated cost savings to the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (4) recommendations of the Secretary with respect to potential improvements to such program.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide whatever amounts are necessary for fiscal years 2025 through 2028. This authorization would not itself provide the money.
Subject to paragraph (2), there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for fiscal years 2025 through 2028 such sums as may be necessary to carry out the Food is Medicine program.
Any money appropriated under that authorization would have to be used for program development and operation, hiring registered dieticians and nutrition specialists, research and evaluation, and partnerships with local organizations.
Any amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be used for— (A) developing and operating the Food is Medicine program; (B) hiring registered dieticians and nutrition specialists; (C) conducting research and evaluations; and (D) establishing partnerships with local organizations pursuant to subsection (b)(3).
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 4, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on February 13, 2025, followed by referral to the Subcommittee on Health on March 14, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2025-10-04T08:05:28Z. 2025-03-14: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. 2025-02-13: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. 2025-02-13: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-13. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status cannot be fully assessed without accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No narrow preferential carve-out beyond the program's intended beneficiaries was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 4, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI