Acting Ranking Member Takano Applauds Passage of Three Bipartisan Bills to Improve Veterans' Health Care

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House passed three pieces of bipartisan legislation designed to provide veterans with access to quality health care at the VA and in the community. The bills set stronger standards for the Veterans Crisis Line, ensure veterans can access emergency care, and allow the VA to share health information with a veteran’s non-VA doctor to ease the coordination of care. 

“The care we provide to our nations’ veterans is above partisanship and politics. I applaud both sides of the aisle for coming together to take meaningful action on behalf of those who served,” said Acting Ranking Member Mark Takano. “Today’s progress is substantive but we have not fulfilled our duty to the veterans community until we succeed in serving every single veteran. I look forward to continuing the important work of strengthening our support for the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our safety.”

The three pieces of legislation are:

• H.R. 5392, the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act, which will set and enforce stronger standards to improve the quality of service and support for veterans who contact the Veterans Crisis Line. It is an important and necessary step toward addressing the epidemic of veteran suicide;
• H.R. 3216, the Veterans Emergency Treatment Act, which requires that if a veteran enrolled at the VA requests treatment at a VA emergency department, he or she will get that examination or treatment whether or not it is related to a service-connected condition; and
• H.R. 5162, the Vet Connect Act of 2016, which will allow the VA to share health information with a veteran’s non-VA doctor to improve care coordination and ensure continuity of care. 

# # # 

• Print
• Email
• Tweet