S5497Referred to Committee

Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act

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Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2026-09-24
Introduced
1
Cosponsors
S
ⓘ
Type

Sponsor

Angus S. King Jr.
Angus S. King Jr.
Independent · ME · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (1)

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 →

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

2026-09-24

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

Plain-English Summary

Plain-English summary pending. Introduced on 2026-09-24. Check back soon — summaries are generated as bills progress through Congress.

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] [S. 5497 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5497 To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse State homes for the cost of, or to furnish to State homes, certain costly medications provided to veterans who receive nursing home care in such State homes, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 24, 2026 Mr. King (for himself and Mr. Banks) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse State homes for the cost of, or to furnish to State homes, certain costly medications provided to veterans who receive nursing home care in such State homes, 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 ``Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act''. SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF A STATE HOME FOR HIGH COST MEDICATIONS. Section 1745(a)(3) of title 38, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by striking ``Payment'' and inserting ``(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), payment''; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: ``(B) In addition to payment described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall, at the election of a covered State home-- ``(i) reimburse the covered State home for a costly medication; or ``(ii) furnish such costly medication to the covered State home. ``(C) In this paragraph: ``(i) The term `costly medication' means a drug or medicine for which the average wholesale price for one month's supply, plus a 3 percent transaction fee, exceeds 8.5 percent of the payment under subparagraph (A) by the Secretary to a covered State home for care provided to the veteran who receives such costly medication during such month. ``(ii) The term `covered State home' means a State home that, in the course of nursing home care provided pursuant to a contract (or agreement) under paragraph (1), provides to a veteran a costly medication.''. <all>
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