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By Suzanne Blake
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A sweeping bipartisan bill introduced in Congress could deliver one of the most significant expansions of veterans’ benefits and care in years, combining dozens of long‑debated proposals into a single legislative package.
The proposal, titled the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, was introduced this month by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost alongside lawmakers from both parties. It is designed to expand benefits and improve access to health care while overhauling how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates.
Why It Matters
The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act represents one of the most comprehensive attempts in recent years to reshape veterans’ benefits and VA services.
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Supporters say it would deliver long-awaited benefits expansions and improve health care access and mental health services. It has also been framed as a way to fix long-standing inefficiencies in the VA system.
And because it combines dozens of bipartisan measures into one package, lawmakers are betting it has a stronger chance of passing than individual bills that have stalled in the past.
What To Know
The legislation is unusually broad, bundling more than 60 bipartisan bills into a single package, many of which have been debated individually for years.
The bill aims to do the following:
- Expand health care access and services
- Increase or protect financial benefits
- Improve support for families, caregivers, and survivors
- Modernize the VA’s claims and administrative systems
“I am proud to announce, alongside my friend, Chairman Moran, that we have found a path forward for this bill to get it across the finish line, in addition to over 60 bipartisan bills to protect health care access, cut out the red tape in the VA disability benefits system, advance economic opportunities, and put veterans – not government bureaucracy – back at the center of VA’s mission – for good,” Bost said in a statement earlier this month.
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“My message to the millions of men and women who have served, their families, and their survivors is simple: you have our commitment that this Republican majority will continue to lead from the front and deliver results on the issues that matter to you and your families. Let’s get it done.”
Major Benefits Changes for Veterans
Ending the 'Wounded Veteran Tax'
One of the most significant provisions is the Major Richard Star Act, which would:
- Allow certain combat-injured veterans to receive both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation at the same time
- End a long‑criticized offset that reduces retirement pay dollar‑for‑dollar based on disability benefits
This policy currently affects tens of thousands of medically retired veterans with fewer than 20 years of service.
“Whether it passes will depend largely on the pressure lawmakers receive from veterans, and advocacy groups,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. “One thing Congress understands well is that if a bill has a strong name and a compelling message, it can attract public support even when the details are far more complicated.”
Expanded Compensation for Disabled Veterans
Another key provision, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, would:
- Increase compensation for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities
- Provide additional financial support for surviving spouses
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The package also includes broader reforms aimed at improving accuracy and fairness in disability ratings.
New Support for Surviving Families
The bill includes the Love Lives On Act, which would:
- Eliminate the so‑called “remarriage penalty”
- Allow surviving spouses of fallen service members to remarry without losing key benefits
Additional provisions extend certain benefits for families of veterans who die of service‑connected illnesses such as ALS.
Changes to VA Health Care Access
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Lawmakers say the bill would improve access to both VA and community care options, including by expanding mental health and suicide prevention programs.
The urgency of reform is underscored by a persistent mental‑health crisis among service members and veterans, where suicide remains a leading cause of death and gaps in care access can prove fatal. In 2023 alone, 6,398 veterans died by suicide—an average of roughly 17.5 per day—while more than 60 percent of those deaths involved individuals not engaged in VA care, highlighting systemic barriers to treatment.
High‑profile deaths on VA campuses, including multiple suicides at the same San Antonio facility in 2025, have intensified scrutiny of overwhelmed systems and delays in mental‑health services.
These incidents reflect broader challenges—ranging from PTSD and chronic pain to homelessness and stigma—that continue to affect veterans long after service.
At-Risk Veterans and Substance Abuse
The package also looks to make it easier for veterans to access care outside the VA system when needed and strengthen programs for at-risk veterans, including those facing substance use issues.
Substance abuse remains a significant issue among veterans, affecting roughly 1 in 10 overall, but rates are notably higher among younger, post‑9/11 veterans—about 12–13 percent report a substance use disorder compared to roughly 4–5 percent of older cohorts like Vietnam-era veterans. Veterans with heavy combat exposure face 61 percent higher odds of developing alcohol-related problems.
Research consistently shows that younger veterans face the highest burden of substance use and mental‑health challenges, with elevated rates of binge drinking and drug misuse compared to older generations.
Rural Health Care Access
The law also includes measures to improve rural health care access and pilot programs to enhance treatment outcomes.
It's especially important to provide health care access to rural Americans because studies have found that more veterans live in rural areas than those who didn't serve. Estimates show that a quarter to a third of all veterans choose to live in rural areas. More than half of those living in rural areas are 65+.
The bill also provides for veterans needing long-distance treatment with provisions such as temporary housing near medical facilities.
Sexual Trauma Survivors
Veterans experiencing military sexual trauma will be provided with expanded outreach and care support if the new bill passes.
Military sexual trauma remains a pervasive issue across the armed forces, with estimates suggesting tens of thousands of service members experience unwanted sexual contact each year, including about 29,000 in 2023 alone. Among veterans, the long-term impact is significant—about 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men report experiencing sexual assault or harassment during their service, underscoring its widespread and lasting effects on mental health and well-being.
Service Animals and TBI Rehab Services
The bill also aims to put more service dogs in the homes and hearts of veterans who need them by allowing for a pilot program to provide grants to nonprofits that provide service animals to veterans for no charge, with pet insurance included.
Service animals—particularly trained service dogs—play a growing role in supporting veterans, helping those with both physical disabilities and mental health conditions like PTSD regain independence and stability. Research shows that pairing veterans with service dogs can significantly reduce PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and depression while improving overall quality of life and social functioning.
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For those with a traumatic brain injury, the bill aims to create a TBI Innovation Grant Program to expand treatment options.
VA System Reforms and Modernization
The legislation proposes significant administrative changes:
- Faster processing of disability claims with new efficiency standards
- Expanded use of automation tools to handle claims and appeals
- Annual reporting requirements to track processing improvements
Lawmakers say these changes could reduce long wait times and bureaucratic delays.
“Our veterans deserve a VA system that works for them,” Representative Chuck Edwards (NC) said in a statement. “This legislation improves access to care, strengthens benefits, modernizes outdated systems, and ensures taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly.
The bill also includes provisions to help veterans transition to civilian life, such as standardized pre-separation counseling for service members and expanded job training.
How Would the Bill Be Funded?
One of the most controversial aspects of the way the law would be funded is through changes to disability ratings for conditions like sleep apnea and tinnitus for future claimants.
These changes are expected to reduce future federal spending, with some of those savings redirected to fund the expanded benefits under the package.
While the proposed changes would apply to future claims, not current beneficiaries, some veterans groups have raised concerns that these adjustments could reduce benefits for future veterans.
“While it's good to see a merger of many of these many updates into one act, there are still concerns over how it will be financially covered,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.
He added that the future tinnitus and sleep-apnea disability ratings could reduce compensation by over $50 billion over 10 years and affect nearly 1.5 million veterans, “creating the complicated possibility that one group of veterans is being asked to finance benefits for another.”
What Happens Next
The bill was introduced on June 10 and has been referred to House committees for further consideration.
If it advances, it will need to do the following:
- Pass both the House and Senate
- Be signed by the president to become law
“The bill absolutely has a path forward, but opposition from major veterans organizations makes its passing in its current form far from certain unless lawmakers find a different funding source,” Beene said.
Related News: VA Moves To Overhaul Troubled Police Force
The VA has also announced a major overhaul of its internal police force, as part of broader efforts to improve safety across its health care system.
In a June 24 news release, the VA said it was restructuring its police operations to address long-standing issues with recruitment, retention and inconsistent standards across facilities. Officials said the force—made up of more than 5,000 employees—had been fragmented for years, with officers reporting to individual medical centers rather than law enforcement leadership, contributing to uneven policing and weak accountability.
As part of the reforms, the VA is creating a unified chain of command under a dedicated assistant secretary, moving oversight away from hospital administrators and into a centralized law enforcement structure. The department said this would allow for consistent training, discipline and staffing standards nationwide.
The changes are intended to make the VA police force more competitive with other agencies and improve officer retention, a persistent challenge that has seen experienced personnel leave for better-paid roles elsewhere.
The VA said the overhaul was already showing early signs of improvement, with thousands of applicants responding to recent recruitment efforts. It expects the changes to be fully implemented by the end of fiscal year 2026.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas.
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