H.R. 149

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To ensure that Members of Congress and Congressional staff receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs instead of under the Federal Health Benefits Program or health care exchanges.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · January 3, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Davidson

Table of contents

• H.R. 149
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Health care furnished by Department of Veterans Affairs to Members of Congress and Congressional staff

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the Lead by Example Act of 2025.

SEC. 2. Health care furnished by Department of Veterans Affairs to Members of Congress and Congressional staff

• (a) Health care benefits
  • Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning January 3, 2027, the only health care plan that the Federal Government may make available to Members of Congress and Congressional staff with respect to their service as a Member of Congress or Congressional staff shall be health care provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs, including at facilities of the Department and non-Department facilities pursuant to of title 38, United States Code, and any other provision of law authorizing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish such care to veterans, as if such Members and staff were veterans. chapter 17
• (b) Implementation plan
  • Not later than September 15, 2025, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall jointly submit to Congress a plan to carry out subsection (a), including recommendations for any legislative actions the Secretary and the Director determine necessary to carry out such subsection.
• (c) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term Congressional staff means the employees described in section 2107(1) of title 5, United States Code.
    • The term Member of Congress means a Member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
    • The term non-Department facility has the meaning given that term in section 1701 of title 38, United States Code.