Sponsors (2)
The bill expands VA‑led, veteran‑tailored mental‑health care, housing supports, benefits continuity, and data on incarcerated veterans—improving services and reentry outcomes—but does so at added federal cost and with implementation, coordination, and improper‑payment risks that could produce uneven results.
Incarcerated veterans (especially those with service‑connected PTSD, TBI, or military sexual trauma) gain improved access to no‑cost, veteran‑tailored mental health, rehabilitation, and peer‑support services through a VA pilot and VA–correctional coordination.
Veterans released from incarceration (and their survivors) have disability compensation and DIC payments resumed immediately on release, restoring income and service continuity while reducing manual restart delays.
Housing incarcerated veterans in dedicated units with veteran‑specific programs and peer support can lower recidivism by addressing military‑related needs and improving rehabilitation.
The pilot, expanded housing, VA coordination, mobile units, and required IT/staff changes will raise federal operating costs and increase expenditures borne by taxpayers and VA/BOP budgets.
Limiting program care to VA providers (excluding non‑VA providers) could restrict capacity and slow access to timely treatment where VA staffing is insufficient.
Automatic resumption of benefits on release risks brief improper payments or overpayments that require later recovery, adding administrative workload and potential stress for veterans and families.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 24, 2026 by Herbert C. Conaway · Last progress March 24, 2026
Creates a VA-run pilot to deliver no‑copay mental health care to incarcerated veterans (with priority for those with service‑connected PTSD, TBI, or military sexual trauma), using telehealth where possible and VA mobile or other VA means when not. Requires the VA to staff a separate hub of providers dedicated to incarcerated veterans and forbids those providers from performing disability‑claims exams. Directs the Bureau of Prisons to establish veteran housing units or structured veteran programs in federal prisons, requires VA–BOP collaboration on training and programming, mandates automatic resumption of VA compensation and DIC when a veteran is released (effective 180 days after enactment), and requires annual collection and reporting of data on incarcerated veterans.