December 11, 2025
Mrs. King-Hinds (for herself, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. Moylan, Mr. Case, and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish certain health services to veterans in the Freely Associated States, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the U.S. Vets of the FAS Act
.
Sec. 2. Requirement to furnish certain health services to veterans in the Freely Associated States
(a) Agreements required
Consistent with section 1724(f) of title 38, United States Code, and section 209(a)(4)(A) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024 (48 U.S.C. 1988(a)(4)(A)), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall work expeditiously with the governments of the Freely Associated States to enter into the agreements described in such sections.
(b) Inclusion of telehealth and mail order pharmacy services required
Consistent with such sections and with the agreements required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall furnish to veterans in the Freely Associated States services that include, at a minimum—
(1)
health services provided by telehealth; and
(2)
pharmaceutical products delivered by mail.
(c) Implementation dates
In carrying out subsections (a) and (b), the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable—
(1)
initiate outreach to each such government not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act;
(2)
enter into each agreement required by subsection (a) not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
(3)
begin furnishing the services required by paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(d) Payments for beneficiary travel required
(1) In general
Section 111(h)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
(A)
by striking Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may make payments
and inserting
Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(A)
The Secretary may make payments ; and
(B)
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
(B)
If, with respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary exercises the authority under this section to make any payments, the Secretary shall make the payments provided for in subparagraph (A).
(2) Applicability
Subparagraph (B) of such section 111(h)(1) shall apply to travel occurring on or after the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(e) Reports
Not less frequently than quarterly, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the implementation of this section and the cost of such implementation. Until the Secretary has entered into the agreements required by subsection (a) and begun furnishing the services required by paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b), the report shall also describe the technical and logistical factors that have prevented or impeded the Secretary from doing so.
(f) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees of Congress
The term appropriate committees of Congress
means—
(A)
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(2) Freely Associated States
The term Freely Associated States
has the meaning given such term in section 1724(f) of title 38, United States Code.