119-hr5611

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5611 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5611

 To authorize an individual who is transitioning from receiving 
treatment furnished by the Secretary of Defense to treatment furnished 
 by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to continue receiving treatment 
from such individual's mental health care provider of the Department of 
 Defense, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 26, 2025

 Mr. Thanedar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Armed Services, 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 authorize an individual who is transitioning from receiving 
treatment furnished by the Secretary of Defense to treatment furnished 
 by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to continue receiving treatment 
from such individual's mental health care provider of the Department of 
 Defense, and for other purposes.

 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 ``Mental Health Care Provider 
Retention Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. RETENTION OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.

    (a) In General.--During the transition from receiving treatment 
furnished by the Secretary of Defense to treatment furnished by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a covered individual may elect to 
continue receiving treatment from such individual's mental health care 
provider of the Department of Defense.

    (b) Priority.--A covered individual shall receive the same level of 
priority as members of the Armed Forces at the military medical 
treatment facility at which the covered individual has elected to 
continue treatment.
            (c) Reimbursement of Costs.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall reimburse the Secretary of Defense for services rendered pursuant 
to subsection

    (a) , if such services would have otherwise been furnished 
by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
            (d) Departure of Mental Health Care Provider.--In the event that 
the mental health care provider described under subsection

    (a) departs 
the military medical treatment facility at which the covered individual 
is receiving treatment, such individual may elect to obtain the 
services of--

    (1) a different mental health care provider at the same 
 military medical treatment facility; or

    (2) a mental health care provider of the Department of 
 Veterans Affairs.

    (e) Departure of Covered Individual.--In the event that the covered 
individual relocates and is unable to reasonably receive care at the 
military medical treatment facility at which such individual has 
elected to continue treatment under subsection

    (a) , such individual 
shall transition to receiving treatment from a mental health care 
provider of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    (f) Medical Records.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
ensure that any mental health care provider of the Department of 
Defense that furnishes care or services under this section to a covered 
individual submits to the Department of Veterans Affairs a copy of any 
medical record related to the care or services provided to such 
individual by such mental health care provider for inclusion in the 
electronic medical record of such individual maintained by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs upon such individual's transition to 
receiving treatment from a mental health care provider of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs.

    (g) Definition of Covered Individual.--In this section, the term 
``covered individual'' means an individual who has been diagnosed with 
a mental health condition and--

    (1) is enrolling in the patient enrollment system of the 
 Department of Veterans Affairs, established by 

section 1705 of 
 title 38, United States Code; or

    (2) has enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the 
 Department of Veterans Affairs and is still in transition from 
 receiving treatment furnished by the Secretary of Defense, as 
 determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
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