House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), together with Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), and Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-N.C.), have introduced a set of bills aimed at updating key Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs. The initiative is part of a broader effort to reauthorize programs that have not been comprehensively updated in three decades.
The legislative package addresses several areas: VA healthcare delivery, the national drug formulary, leasing and construction of VA facilities, healthcare research processes, and contracting and procurement systems. The goal is to tackle longstanding issues related to bureaucracy that have affected how veterans receive care.
Chairman Bost said, “It has been far too long since VA programs have been thoroughly reviewed and updated to meet veterans’ needs. I know that Secretary Collins and the Trump administration share that vision — because the days of simply accepting business as usual are over,” adding, “Last November, the American people expressed a clear desire to end the status quo and make the government – and specifically VA – work for the veteran taxpayers it serves. I firmly believe that to accomplish this, the Committee and Congress need to keep pushing VA forward to serve veterans better. The bills we are introducing today align with that mission, and I’m proud to support them.”
One focus is bringing the VA’s National Drug Formulary up to date with industry standards by making it more transparent and consistent across facilities nationwide. Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Dr. Miller-Meeks stated, “Our veterans deserve timely, evidence-based access to the medications they need, no matter where they live or which VA facility they visit. This bill modernizes VA’s formulary system to make it more transparent, consistent, and patient-focused,” she said. “By streamlining the approval process, strengthening clinical oversight, and improving procurement practices, we’re ensuring veterans get the right care, at the right time, with the best value for taxpayers.”
Another bill seeks reforms in leasing and construction for new VA facilities in response to delays such as those seen in Farmington, Missouri. Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith commented on this issue: “Veterans in southeast Missouri were rightly outraged when the VA cancelled long-awaited plans for a new facility in Farmington, Missouri, and we’ve now learned this is all too typical of the VA’s process on projects like this,” he said. “We can’t — we won’t — let the Department run out the clock on our nation’s heroes and cancel needed facilities with bureaucratic red tape. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Leasing and Infrastructure Act of 2025, which greatly reduces the amount of time the VA can tie up a project in a regulatory black hole. This legislation ensures the VA can focus on efficiency and providing the highest quality of care to those who served our nation.”
Procurement practices within VA would also be addressed under these bills. Rep. Jack Bergman emphasized updates are overdue: “It’s been more than a quarter century since Congress last updated VA’s procurement and contracting framework – despite the fact that these authorities shape how the Department purchases lifesaving medical technology and manages large-scale services that Veterans rely on every single day. Allowing such outdated practices to persist is not only a disservice to the Veterans we serve but also undermines Congress’s Article I duty to ensure federal agencies are accountable and responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars,” he said.“This bill brings VA’s contracting framework into the modern era by improving how medical implants are acquired, streamlining billing for surgical procedures, and requiring congressional authorization before the Department enters into any procurement or contract. These reforms will help ensure VA’s contracting practices put our Veterans first, and I’m proud to lead this long-overdue effort.”
Additionally, proposed changes aim at modernizing how healthcare research funded by VA is managed through improved coordination and oversight mechanisms. Rep. Greg Murphy noted challenges with current processes: “The Department of Veterans Affairs conducts vital research in the federal government but lacks centralized coordination, efficient review and oversight, and dependable timelines,” he said.“Our veterans deserve to receive swift attention to their healthcare needs; however, the bureaucratic process often forces veterans to wait unconscionable lengths of time to receive care. The VA Research Reform Act will effectively modernize how VA-funded research is managed, streamlining every stage of the process to prioritize well-being of veterans and remove barriers to timely care.”
