Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2026

This bill changes the rules for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It would let any health care professional eligible for certain VA positions, not only physician assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists, perform these exams under a VA contract if they hold a current, unrestricted license and are not barred from practicing in any state. It moves the end date of this temporary authority to September 30, 2031. Within 15 months, the VA Secretary must report to Congress on the number, cost, timeliness, legal adequacy, and location of these exams, any errors, and a plan to fix errors.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Jon Husted Republican sponsor
• 0 cosponsors