Sponsors (5)
The bill expands proactive VA outreach and suicide‑prevention coordination to improve care and benefits access for separating service members and veterans, at the cost of increased VA workload and administrative expenses, potential privacy/coordination risks, and risks of uneven implementation without dedicated resources.
Separating service members and recent veterans will receive proactive VA outreach (a call 210–120 days before separation, with texts/emails as needed) informing them about transitional health care under 10 U.S.C. §1145, improving awareness and continuity of care.
Separating service members and veterans will be provided contact information for the nearest VA facility and for a recognized representative/agent/attorney to assist with disability claims, making it easier to access benefits and start claims.
Military personnel and veterans in crisis will benefit from Solid Start collecting DoD suicide-prevention policies, points-of-contact, and referral protocols so outreach callers can connect people to appropriate resources more quickly.
All taxpayers and veterans could face increased VA administrative costs (hiring/staffing or technology) to meet expanded outreach requirements.
Separating service members and veterans may experience delays or inconsistent assistance if VA must call every separating member but lacks sufficient staffing or funding, making timely outreach operationally challenging.
Collecting and sharing DoD suicide-prevention contact information raises privacy and coordination challenges between DoD and VA, creating risks around sensitive data handling and legal/compliance hurdles.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands VA outreach to service members who are separating from the Armed Forces by requiring the Solid Start program to contact every separating member once between 210 and 120 days before separation, share transitional health care information, provide contact details for the nearest VA facility and for recognized representatives who can assist with disability claims, and collect DoD suicide-prevention contacts and referral protocols. It also requires the VA to use other communication methods (including text or email) to schedule calls or when calls fail, and includes technical and organizational changes to existing program text.
Introduced November 7, 2025 by Donald Sternoff Beyer · Last progress November 7, 2025