H.R. 149

119 HR 149 IH: Lead by Example Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-01-03
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 149  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   January 3, 2025   Mr. Davidson  introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on House Administration , and in addition to the Committee on  Veterans' Affairs , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned   A BILL
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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Lead by Example Act of 2025  .
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  chapter 17  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.
(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:
(1)
The term  Congressional staff  means the employees described in section 2107(1) of title 5, United States Code.
(2)
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.
(3)
The term  non-Department facility  has the meaning given that term in section 1701 of title 38, United States Code.