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Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 13, 2025
Veterans Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program under which Vet Centers and VA medical facilities provide veterans who are experiencing mental health crises with referrals to approved non-VA mental health care providers.
The VA must report on the implementation, outcomes, and effectiveness of the pilot program.
People & committees
Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] · R–FL
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
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: Jun 13, 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 Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to test a system for referring veterans experiencing mental health crises to approved providers outside VA. The three-year pilot would operate in at least three geographic locations. It would require a referral system that connects veterans with providers within one week, while tracking how long veterans actually wait for care.
This Act may be cited as the Veterans Mental Health Crisis Referral Enhancement Act of 2025.
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a three-year pilot program under which Vet Centers and medical facilities of the Department provide veterans experiencing mental health crises with referrals to non-Department mental health care providers approved by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall select at least three geographic locations at which to carry out the pilot program
develop and maintain a referral system to connect veterans experiencing mental health crises with non-Department mental health care providers within one week;
The average wait time for a veteran to receive mental health care after receiving a referral under the pilot program.
If enacted, the bill would require VA to begin the three-year pilot within 180 days of enactment. The Secretary would select at least three geographic locations, where Vet Centers and VA medical facilities would provide the referrals.
Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a three-year pilot program under which Vet Centers and medical facilities of the Department provide veterans experiencing mental health crises with referrals to non-Department mental health care providers approved by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall select at least three geographic locations at which to carry out the pilot program required under subsection (a).
VA would have to develop and maintain a referral system connecting veterans experiencing mental health crises with outside providers within one week. The text sets a deadline for connecting veterans with providers, but does not expressly require treatment to begin within that week.
develop and maintain a referral system to connect veterans experiencing mental health crises with non-Department mental health care providers within one week;
The average wait time for a veteran to receive mental health care after receiving a referral under the pilot program.
Outside providers receiving referrals would need the Secretary's approval. VA would have to develop the criteria for approving those providers.
referrals to non-Department mental health care providers approved by the Secretary.
develop criteria for the approval of non-Department mental health care providers for purposes of referrals under the program;
VA would have to hire any additional employees needed to facilitate referrals and train employees of Vet Centers and VA medical facilities on the referral system.
hire any additional employees required to facilitate referrals under the system; and (4) provide appropriate training to employees of Vet Centers and medical facilities of the Department on the referral system.
VA would have to report to Congress within six months after the end of each year in which the pilot operates. Each report would cover implementation and outcomes, including referral numbers, average waits for care after referral, and an evaluation of veterans' satisfaction with the care received.
Not later than six months after the last day of each year during which the Secretary carries out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation and outcomes of the pilot program.
Each such report shall include the following for the year covered by the report: (A) The number of veterans referred to non-Department mental health care providers under the pilot program. (B) The average wait time for a veteran to receive mental health care after receiving a referral under the pilot program. (C) An evaluation of veteran satisfaction with the mental health care received through the referral system.
Within 180 days after the pilot concludes, VA would have to give Congress a final evaluation of its effectiveness and recommendations about expanding or modifying the referral system. This reporting requirement does not itself direct an expansion.
Not later than 180 days after the conclusion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a final report containing an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and the recommendations of the Secretary with respect to expanding or modifying the referral system developed under the program.
The bill would authorize $3 million for each of fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027 to carry out the pilot. This would authorize funding for Congress to provide through appropriations; it would not itself supply that money.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the pilot program required under subsection (a) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2027.
The supplied action snapshot, updated June 13, 2025, records introduction 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 2025-06-13T18:55:02Z. 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 was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the contents or attachment history of 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 named recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; accompanying materials needed to assess formal earmark status were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment beyond the program's ordinary intended coverage was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not extend to other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jun 13, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI