Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act
- Bill Number
- S. 702
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-09: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 287.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-08T16:35:54Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to commission an independent study comparing the quality of mental health and addiction therapy care provided by VA health care providers versus non-VA providers.
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must enter into an agreement with an independent, objective organization outside the VA within 90 days of enactment.
- The study must examine care quality across modalities including telehealth, inpatient, intensive outpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment.
- The organization must complete the study and submit a report to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs within 18 months of the agreement, while also publishing the report on a publicly available website.
- The report must assess specific elements, such as health outcome improvements (including symptom scores and suicide risk via evidence-based scales), use of evidence-based practices, coordination gaps between VA and non-VA providers, veteran-centric care satisfaction, integrated care for co-occurring conditions, ongoing outcome monitoring up to three years post-treatment, and average time to initiate services.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill introduces no amendments to existing statutes. It adds a new requirement for the VA to conduct and report on this specific comparative study.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Requires the VA to allocate resources for contracting an external organization and facilitating data access.
- On citizens: Provides veterans and the public with data on care quality differences that could inform future treatment choices or policy.
- On international relations: None identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Veterans receiving mental health or addiction therapy care.
- VA health care providers and facilities.
- Non-VA health care providers participating in VA programs.
- Congressional committees on Veterans' Affairs.
- The independent organization contracted to perform the study.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation contains no apparent constitutional concerns or major legal alterations. It focuses on data collection and transparency without mandating policy changes based on the study's findings.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (8)
Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH], Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC], Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA], Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA], Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO], Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI], Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME], Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-09: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 287.
- 2025-12-09: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran without amendment. Without written report.
- 2025-12-09: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran without amendment. Without written report.
- 2025-07-30: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- 2025-03-11: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-35.
- 2025-02-25: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2025-02-25: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act — issued 2025-02-25 — PDF (4 pages)
- Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act — issued 2025-12-09 — PDF (6 pages)