Sen. Jerry Moran

Maddy summaryThis bill makes permanent a program allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire outside physicians via contracts to conduct disability medical examinations for veterans applying for benefits. It requires these contract doctors to hold current, unrestricted licenses and not be barred from practice in any state, while ensuring exams remain within the scope of their contracted duties. The VA will cover costs through existing funding for benefits and must establish a system for transmitting new medical evidence from these exams. The bill terminates the previous temporary pilot program and mandates a congressional report within three years on the program's impact on exam costs, speed, and thoroughness.

Maddy summaryThe HOPE for Heroes Act of 2025 reauthorizes and modifies the Department of Veterans Affairs' suicide prevention grant program through 2030. It increases the maximum grant amount to $1 million per grantee and allows additional funding (up to $500,000 annually) based on the number of veterans completing intake for services. The bill requires grant recipients to coordinate with VA for care continuity, limits administrative spending to 30% of funds, and mandates training on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) for providers and VA staff. This directly affects veterans at risk of suicide, grant-funded service providers, and VA medical centers coordinating care.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 879 (Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act), supports family caregivers who provide personal care for veterans. It extends medical coverage for 180 days after a caregiver stops providing services (unless dismissed for misconduct), provides up to $1,000 for certification fees, free training modules, and access to employment programs like Military OneSource, and adds bereavement counseling after a veteran's death. The bill also requires studies on returnship programs for caregivers returning to work and barriers to hiring former caregivers at VA facilities. It mandates reports to Congress on retirement savings options and VA efforts to assist caregivers transitioning out of caregiving roles.

Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025 This bill expands the Scott Hannon Initiative for Precision Mental Health, a program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill expands the scope of the initiative by requiring the identification and validation of brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans for repetitive low-level blast exposure, dementia, and other such brain conditions. Currently, the initiative addresses several other conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The VA must work with the Department of Defense to establish a data-sharing partnership under the initiative. The bill requires the VA to conduct various research studies about repetitive low-level blast exposure under the initiative. The VA must seek to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to work in tandem with the initiative on validation of brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans and report on the findings at least once every two years. The VA must assess all in progress and planned translational research studies under the initiative and report to Congress on the assessment. Additionally, the VA must report to Congress on the initiative at least once every two years and include recommendations for immediate administrative and legislative action to improve the initiative. The bill authorizes the initiative through FY2034.

Maddy summaryS 506 establishes a 3-year pilot program to coordinate healthcare between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Medicare for veterans enrolled in both systems. It assigns case managers to help covered veterans (those using both VA and Medicare) navigate care, reduce gaps in services, and improve outcomes. The program tracks metrics like access, costs, patient satisfaction, and care coordination across 3-5 diverse VA locations. Key provisions include using existing healthcare models, contracting with private entities where possible, and requiring regular reports to Congress on results. The goal is to streamline care for veterans who rely on both VA and Medicare services.

Veterans' Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act of 2025 This bill addresses the administration of the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care matters. Among other provisions regarding the VCCP, the bill establishes in statute access standards that determine when a veteran is eligible to receive non-VA care through the VCCP, requires the VA to notify veterans regarding their eligibility for care within two business days after the VA is aware the veteran is seeking care, and extends the deadline for the submittal of claims under the VCCP by health care entities and providers. The VA must address its mental health treatment programs by establishing a standardized screening process to determine whether a veteran satisfies criteria for priority or routine admission to a mental health residential rehabilitation treatment program or a program for residential care for mental health and substance abuse disorders, tracking the performance of medical facilities and Veterans Integrated Service Networks in meeting the requirements for mental health treatment screenings and timely admission to treatment programs under such screenings, and establishing an appeal process for when a veteran is denied admission to a covered treatment program or is accepted into a program but not offered bed placement in a timely manner. Additionally, the VA must establish an online self-service module for veterans to request and manage appointments, track referrals, and appeal and track decisions related to requests for care.

Maddy summaryThe Hire Student Veterans Act expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to include veterans using educational benefits from the VA (like the GI Bill) or military programs while employed. Employers who hire these veterans can claim the tax credit, reducing their federal tax bill. The bill adjusts eligibility requirements to specifically cover veterans attending school with these benefits and modifies the minimum employment period for them. This change applies to veterans starting work after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows working people with disabilities who use ABLE accounts (tax-advantaged savings accounts for disability-related expenses) to redirect employer retirement contributions into their ABLE accounts instead of their employer's retirement plan. It amends retirement and ABLE tax rules to prevent these individuals from losing retirement benefits when making this choice, by treating employer contributions to ABLE accounts as if they were made to the retirement plan. The key mechanism requires retirement plans to offer this option universally to eligible employees and clarifies that such contributions won't violate retirement plan nondiscrimination rules. This change applies to retirement plan years starting after the bill's enactment, with immediate implementation for employer contribution rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands federal support for biorefineries producing advanced biofuels (including ultra-low-carbon and zero-carbon bioethanol), renewable chemicals, and biobased products. It establishes a new competitive grant program (up to 60% of project costs) for pilot/demonstration-scale facilities, with funding capped at $40 million annually for fiscal years 2025-2029. Projects are evaluated based on market potential, innovation, environmental benefits, rural economic development, and feasibility, with priority given to those using novel feedstocks or technologies. The program directly affects biorefinery developers, manufacturers of renewable chemicals, and biobased product companies seeking federal support for commercial-scale demonstration projects.

Maddy summaryS 2443, the Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act, creates a federal tax credit for veteran-owned small businesses. It provides a 15% credit on up to $50,000 in qualified start-up expenses (like equipment or real property) for businesses owned and controlled by veterans or their spouses, located in underserved communities (such as HUBZone areas, empowerment zones, or low-income counties). The credit applies only to the first two taxable years of business operations and requires the business to meet specific size thresholds (under $5 million in gross receipts or 50 full-time employees). This policy directly supports veterans starting businesses in economically disadvantaged areas through tax relief.