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Congress·In Committee·3 months ago

Congress Proposes Expanding Mental Health Care and Suicide Prevention Programs for Veterans

Also known as: BRAVE Act of 2025

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
House
Senate
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • The bill aims to hire more mental health workers by checking if their pay is competitive with private sector jobs. It also allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to hire counselors and psychologists more quickly by giving them more time to finish their licensing requirements while they begin working.
  • Vet Centers, which provide community-based counseling, would get better technology and data to find veterans who need help. The government would also study where to open new centers, focusing on rural areas and places with high suicide rates to ensure help is available where it is needed most.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs would be required to change how it tracks suicide risk for women veterans. It would specifically look at factors like military sexual trauma and domestic violence to make sure women get the right kind of support and outreach tailored to their experiences.
  • A new pilot program would be created at at least three facilities to help veterans with spinal cord injuries get into live-in mental health treatment centers. This addresses a current gap where veterans with physical disabilities often face barriers to getting intensive mental health care.
  • The bill extends a major suicide prevention grant program for three additional years and increases the maximum grant amount to $1 million. It also requires the government to offer every veteran with a mental health disability an annual check-in to discuss their care options and any new services available to them.
VeteransHealthcare

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions
Dec 3, 2025House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Nov 12, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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.

Nov 12, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

About 60 days after enactment

VA must begin modifying the REACH VET program to include risk factors weighted for women veterans, and submit plans for spinal cord injury mental health residential treatment

Within 60 days of enactment, the VA would start updating its suicide risk prediction tools to better identify at-risk women veterans, and lay groundwork for a new pilot program serving veterans with spinal cord injuries

About 120 days after enactment

Pilot program launches at three or more VA facilities providing mental health residential treatment for veterans with spinal cord injuries

Veterans with spinal cord injuries would for the first time have access to live-in mental health treatment programs designed to accommodate their physical needs at select VA locations

Upon enactment

Suicide Prevention Grant Program extended and expanded with higher funding cap

Community organizations providing suicide prevention services to veterans could receive grants up to $1 million (up from $750,000) for an additional three years, keeping these local programs running and expanding their reach

Related News

3 articles
Colorado Newsline·4 months ago

Colorado congressman backs bills to help veterans

Rep. Jason Crow introduced the BRAVE Act to ensure the VA meets the needs of rural and female veterans. The bill calls for reports on Vet Centers in rural areas and additional research into preventing suicide among female veterans by tailoring outreach messaging to their specific experiences.

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Legis1·5 months ago

Military Mental Health Lobbying | Cornerstone Government Affairs Hired

Cornerstone Government Affairs has been hired to lobby for several bills, including the BRAVE Act of 2025 (S. 609). The legislation is part of an 'unprecedented' congressional focus on military mental health as the VA struggles with a 55% compliance rate for suicide risk screenings.

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FSMB News·3 months ago

Pending Legislation of Interest: The BRAVE Act of 2025 (H.R. 6024)

The BRAVE Act would support VA mental health outreach by extending licensure waivers for psychologists to a 'reasonable period' under supervision. It also seeks to replace the VA's aging IT systems used for managing Vet Center services to improve coordination for high-risk veterans.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

BRAVE Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 6024
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(4)
D: 3R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.