Written Informed Consent Act
Congress Proposes Requiring Written Consent for Veterans Taking Mental Health and Pain Medications
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to get written permission from veterans before starting them on several types of powerful medications. Currently, these strict rules mostly apply to long-term opioid use for pain, but this change would expand them to many more drugs.
- The new rules would cover medications used for mental health and focus, including antidepressants, stimulants, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety drugs. It also includes narcotics used for pain management.
- The goal is to make sure veterans fully understand the risks and benefits of these medications before they start taking them. By requiring written consent, doctors must have a clear conversation with the patient about how the drug works and what side effects might happen.
- This change updates an existing policy from 2020 that was originally designed to help manage the risks of opioids. If passed, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs would have to update the official rules to include these extra categories of medicine.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Veterans receiving care through the VA health system would gain stronger protections before being prescribed powerful mental health and pain medications. Doctors would be required to have a documented conversation about risks, benefits, and alternatives before starting antidepressants, antipsychotics, stimulants, anti-anxiety drugs, or narcotics — giving veterans more say in their own treatment decisions.
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
Improving transparency for VA health care
New legislation introduced by U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman, Gus Bilirakis, and Keith Self aims to improve transparency within the VA. The Written Informed Consent Act would require the VA to provide patients with clear, written information about the potential side effects of several drug categories.
Bilirakis Introduces Bill to Improve VA Prescription Transparency
Rep. Gus Bilirakis is introducing the Written Informed Consent Act, requiring the VA to inform veterans in writing of potential side effects for drugs like antidepressants and antipsychotics. Currently, only verbal disclosures are required for these high-risk medications.
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Rep. Gus Bilirakis filed the Written Informed Consent Act to bring more transparency to VA prescription practices. The bill mandates written information on side effects for antipsychotics, stimulants, and antidepressants, empowering veterans to make better-informed treatment decisions.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Written Informed Consent Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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