HR210Referred to Committee

Dental Care for Veterans Act

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2025-01-06
Introduced
100
Cosponsors
HR
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Julia Brownley
Julia Brownley
Democrat · CA · Representative
Votes with party: 99.2% (533 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/B001285

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (100)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Committee Hearings Held

2026-05-20

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Previously

Plain-English Summary

Dental Care for Veterans Act This bill expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill makes all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system eligible for VA-provided dental services. Currently, only veterans who have a service-connected dental issue or meet other narrow criteria are eligible for certain dental services. The bill phases in eligibility over four years based upon existing eligibility, degree of service-connected disability or other disability, prisoner of war status, award of a Purple Heart, financial need, or VA health care eligibility.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Armed Forces and National Security

Full Bill Text

Verbatim text published on Congress.gov via GovInfo. Use Cmd+F / Ctrl+F to search within this excerpt.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 210 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 210 To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other medical service, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 6, 2025 Ms. Brownley (for herself, Mr. Casten, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Keating, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Landsman, Mr. Amo, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Ramirez, and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other medical service, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Dental Care for Veterans Act''. SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT THAT SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FURNISH DENTAL CARE IN THE SAME MANNER AS ANY OTHER MEDICAL SERVICE. (a) Dental Benefits.-- (1) In general.--Title 38, United States Code, is amended-- (A) in section 1701(6), by striking ``as described in sections 1710 and 1712 of this title''; (B) in section 1710(c), by striking the second sentence; (C) in section 1712-- (i) by striking subsections (a) and (b); (ii) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) as subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d), respectively; and (iii) in subsection (a), as redesignated by subparagraph (B)-- (I) by striking ``Dental appliances'' and inserting ``The Secretary may furnish dentures, dental appliances''; and (II) by striking ``to be furnished by the Secretary under this section may be procured by the Secretary'' and inserting ``under this section and may procure such appliances''; and (D) by striking section 2062. (2) Phased eligibility.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall apply as follows: (A) In the case of an individual who is eligible for dental services and appliances furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, on the date of the enactment of this Act, beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. (B) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (C) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is described in paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection (a) of section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (D) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is described in paragraph (5) or (6) of subsection (a) of section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that is three years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (E) In the case of a veteran who is not so eligible on the date of the enactment of this Act and who is described in paragraph (7) or (8) of…
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subsection (a) of section 1705 of such title, beginning on the date that is four years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1525(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``medicines under section 1712(d)'' and inserting ``medicines under section 1712(b)''. (c) Clerical Amendments.--Such title is further amended-- (1) in section 1712, in the heading for such section, by striking ``Dental care'' and inserting ``Appliances''; (2) in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17, by striking the item relating to section 1712 and inserting the following new item: ``1712. Appliances; drugs and medicines for certain disabled veterans; vaccines.''; and (3) in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 20, by striking the item relating to section 2062. <all>
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