Last progress April 3, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on April 3, 2025 by Morgan Luttrell
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
This bill focuses on safety and accountability in care at VA hospitals. It requires the VA to quickly tell patients if a non-VA contractor was involved in their care, including the person’s name, what they did, and how involved they were. The VA must share this information within 45 days after it gets notice of a malpractice claim. It also sets rules for where a patient can file a malpractice case and says you can’t file the same case in both state and federal court. The VA must explain patients’ rights and time limits on its website. If a court finds a non-VA provider was negligent under the federal system, the VA has to notify state licensing boards and the National Practitioner Data Bank within 30 days.
The bill also strengthens discipline for providers. If a non-VA contractor is tied to five or more malpractice cases in five years (whether in state court or under the federal system), the VA must remove that person from providing care at VA facilities, with a chance to appeal. For VA-employed doctors, if three or more malpractice cases in five years lead to a judgment or settlement against the United States, VA leadership must bring charges based on professional conduct or competence. These changes apply to actions that happen on or after the date the bill becomes law.