IIB 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3951 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To amend the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 
and the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Vet-
erans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 
2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements 
for contract health care professionals who perform med-
ical disability examinations for the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
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HR 3951 RFS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Veterans’ Im-
proved Access to Benefits Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TEMPORARY LICENSURE RE-
QUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACT HEALTH CARE 
PROFESSIONALS WHO PERFORM MEDICAL 
DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DE-
PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) EXPANSION.—Section 504 of the Veterans’ Bene-
fits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–275; 38 
U.S.C. 5101 note), as amended by paragraph (1) of sub-
section (a) of section 2002 of the Johnny Isakson and 
David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 
Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–315; 38 
U.S.C. 5101 note), is further amended, subject to the sun-
set in paragraph (4) of such subsection, by striking para-
graph (2) of subsection (c) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) 
HEALTH
CARE
PROFESSIONAL
DE-
SCRIBED.—A health care professional described in 
this paragraph is a person who is eligible for ap-
pointment to a position in the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration covered by section 7402(b) of title 38, 
United States Code, who— 
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‘‘(A) has a current and unrestricted license 
to practice the health care profession of the 
health care professional; 
‘‘(B) is not barred from practicing such 
health care profession in any State; and 
‘‘(C) is performing authorized duties for 
the Department pursuant to a contract entered 
into under subsection (a).’’. 
(b) DELAYED SUNSET OF AMENDMENT.—Paragraph 
(4) of subsection (a) of section 2002 of the Johnny Isak-
son and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and 
Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–315; 
38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended by striking ‘‘On the date 
that is five years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act’’ and inserting ‘‘On September 30, 2031’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (2) of 
such subsection is amended by striking ‘‘physicians assist-
ants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists’’ 
and inserting ‘‘health care professionals’’. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 15 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a re-
port regarding the use of the authority under section 504 
of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Pub-
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lic Law 104–275; 38 U.S.C. 5101 note), as temporarily 
amended by section 2002(a)(1) of the Johnny Isakson and 
David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits 
Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116–315; 38 
U.S.C. 5101 note) and this section. Such report shall in-
clude, with respect to the one-year period after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the following elements: 
(1) The number of examinations conducted pur-
suant to a contract under such authority. 
(2) The cost, timeliness, and legal adequacy of 
such examinations, disaggregated by— 
(A) health care professional; and 
(B) contract. 
(3) The number of such examinations con-
ducted in each State, the District of Columbia, or a 
Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 
United States. 
(4) The numbers of each kind of health care 
professionals who conducted such examinations. 
(5) The number of examinations that were erro-
neously conducted by a health care professional— 
(A) without such a contract; or 
(B) unauthorized to enter into such a con-
tract. 
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(6) The plan of the Secretary to correct errors 
in the use of such authority. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 
2025. 
Attest: 
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 
Clerk. 
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