119-hr149

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 149 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 149

 To ensure that Members of Congress and Congressional staff receive 
 health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs instead of under 
 the Federal Health Benefits Program or health care exchanges.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 3, 2025

 Mr. Davidson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
 Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
 within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To ensure that Members of Congress and Congressional staff receive 
 health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs instead of under 
 the Federal Health Benefits Program or health care exchanges.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Lead by Example Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. HEALTH CARE FURNISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND CONGRESSIONAL STAFF.

    (a) Health Care Benefits.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, beginning January 3, 2027, the only health care plan that the 
Federal Government may make available to Members of Congress and 
Congressional staff with respect to their service as a Member of 
Congress or Congressional staff shall be health care provided through 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, including at facilities of the 
Department and non-Department facilities pursuant to chapter 17 of 
title 38, United States Code, and any other provision of law 
authorizing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish such care to 
veterans, as if such Members and staff were veterans.

    (b) Implementation Plan.--Not later than September 15, 2025, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the Office of 
Personnel Management shall jointly submit to Congress a plan to carry 
out subsection

    (a) , including recommendations for any legislative 
actions the Secretary and the Director determine necessary to carry out 
such subsection.
            (c) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) The term ``Congressional staff'' means the employees 
 described in 

section 2107

    (1) of title 5, United States Code.

    (2) The term ``Member of Congress'' means a Member of the 
 Senate or the House of Representatives, a Delegate to the House 
 of Representatives, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto 
 Rico.

    (3) The term ``non-Department facility'' has the meaning 
 given that term in 

section 1701 of title 38, United States 
 Code.
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