S. 219: Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
A Senate bill (S.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Senate bill (S.) |
| Originating chamber | Senate |
| Introduced | 2025-01-23 |
| Sponsor | Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] |
| Policy area | Armed Forces and National Security |
| Cosponsors | 8 |
| Latest action | 2025-05-21 — Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86. |
| Last updated | 2026-04-15 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in Senate, 2025-01-23):
Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
This bill requires the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a three-year pilot program to provide veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system with the ability to choose health care providers through the covered care system. Under the bill, the covered care system includes VA medical facilities, health care providers participating in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), and eligible entities or providers that have entered into a Veterans Care Agreement.
A veteran participating in the program may elect to receive care at any provider in the covered care system.
The pilot program removes certain requirements (e.g., location of the veteran) to access care at VA and non-VA facilities. After four years, the bill permanently phases out the requirements for accessing care under the VCCP and Veterans Care Agreements and requires the VA to provide such care under the same conditions of the pilot program. Additionally, after four years, veterans may receive care at a VA medical facility regardless of whether the facility is in the same Veterans Integrated Service Network as the veteran.
Cosponsors (8)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Tommy Tuberville | R AL (original cosponsor) 2025-01-23 |
| Kevin Cramer | R ND (original cosponsor) 2025-01-23 |
| Roger F. Wicker | R MS (original cosponsor) 2025-01-23 |
| Mike Rounds | R SD (original cosponsor) 2025-01-23 |
| Ted Cruz | R TX (original cosponsor) 2025-01-23 |
| Tim Sheehy | R MT (original cosponsor) 2025-01-23 |
| Steve Daines | R MT 2025-06-10 |
| Dan Sullivan | R AK 2026-04-14 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for S. 219 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is S. 219?
S. 219 is a Senate bill (S.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the Senate. Official title: Veterans Health Care Freedom Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for S. 219 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).