Rep. Tom Graves Honors Veterans

Washington, D.C. – The House approved this week, with Rep. Tom Graves’ (R-GA-14) support, several important veterans bills, including the Veterans Transplant Coverage Act (H.R. 1133), the VICTOR Act (H.R. 2601), the Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act (H.R. 918) and the VETS Act (2123).
“With Veterans Day on Friday, these bills are a timely way to honor the service of our veterans and help improve their access to VA healthcare benefits,” said Rep. Graves. “Our veterans fought and sacrificed for us, and now we owe them the best healthcare and services our nation can provide.”
H.R. 1133 makes changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Choice Program to allow veterans who live more than 100 miles from one of the VA’s organ transplant centers to use federally certified, non-VA facilities.
H.R. 2601 allows organ transplant surgeries from non-veteran donors to veteran recipients who are using VA facilities and doctors. Under current law, veterans who are receiving an organ from a live, non-veteran donor can only use certain VA medical facilities.
H.R. 918 authorizes mental health screenings for veterans who served in a war zone but received less than an honorable discharge. This change is important because the high-stress environment of combat may contribute to the behavior or mental condition that resulted in a less than honorable discharge.
H.R. 2123 permits VA healthcare professionals to practice telemedicine at any facility in any state. Current law prohibits the VA from waiving state provider licensing requirements unless both the physician and patient are located in a federal facility.