H.R. 3863 – VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated May 5, 2026 at 5:41 AM UTC

The VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer an annual mental‑health consultation and proactive outreach to veterans who receive compensation for a service‑connected mental‑health condition. It sets out specific ways the VA must try to contact veterans (phone, text, email, or letter) and mandates regular reporting on the success of those outreach efforts. The bill also includes a small update to a housing‑loan fee date.

Key Provisions

The VA must provide at least one mental‑health consultation each year to eligible veterans, assessing their needs and discussing care options.
The VA must conduct outreach to inform veterans about the consultation and other mental‑health services, unless the veteran opts out.
Outreach must be attempted by phone or text; if unsuccessful, at least two more calls/texts, or if no phone number is available, at least one email or, failing that, one mailed letter.
The VA must submit an annual report for four years detailing contact success rates, methods used, veteran engagement, and opt‑out numbers.
The Government Accountability Office must issue a report within two years evaluating how many veterans received consultations and outreach, which contact methods worked best, and any barriers veterans faced.
A minor technical change updates the date in the housing‑loan fee table from June 9, 2034 to May 12, 2035.

Legislative Activity

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5 earlier actions

HouseCalendars Latest Action

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 550.

May 4, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 10, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

June 10, 2025

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Veterans' Affairs Committee

July 23, 2025

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

July 23, 2025

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-634.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

May 4, 2026

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 550.

May 4, 2026

Bill Text

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Reported in HouseIssued May 4, 2026

IB

Union Calendar No. 550

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 3863

[Report No. 119–634]

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 10, 2025

Ms. Budzinski (for herself and Mr. Edwards) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

May 4, 2026

Additional sponsors: Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Cohen, and Ms. Goodlander

May 4, 2026

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic

For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 10, 2025

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish annual mental health consultations to certain veterans, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act.

2.

Mental health consultations and outreach to a veteran receiving compensation for a service-connected disability relating to a mental health diagnosis

(a)

Annual consultation; outreach

The section 1167 of title 38, United States Code, relating to mental health consultations is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a), in the subsection heading, by striking In general and inserting Initial consultation;

(2)

by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively;

(3)

by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsections:

(b)

Annual consultation; outreach

Not less frequently than once each year, the Secretary shall, with regards to a veteran who is receiving compensation under this chapter for a service-connected disability relating to a mental health diagnosis—

(1)

offer a mental health consultation to assess the mental health needs of, and discuss other mental health care options for, the veteran; and

(2)

conduct outreach (unless a veteran elects not to receive such outreach)—

(A)

regarding the availability of consultations under paragraph (1) and other mental health services furnished by the Secretary; and

(B)

using methods described in subsection (c).

(c)

Outreach methods

Outreach methods described in this subsection consist of—

(1)

successfully contacting the veteran by telephone call or text message;

(2)

if the Secretary does not make such contact, not fewer than two telephone calls or text messages; or

(3)

if the Secretary does not have a telephone number for the veteran—

(A)

at least one email; or

(B)

if the Secretary does not have an email address for the veteran, at least one letter.

;

(4)

in subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by inserting or (b) after under subsection (a) both places it appears; and

(5)

in subsection (d), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by inserting , or to require the reevaluation of any entitlement of the veteran to compensation under this chapter before the period at the end.

(b)

Technical corrections

(1)

Redesignation

Such section, as amended, is redesignated as section 1169 of such title.

(2)

Clerical amendments

The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 11 of such title is amended—

(A)

by striking the item relating to the section 1167 that relates to mental health consultations; and

(B)

by inserting after the item relating to section 1168 the following new item:

1169. Mental health consultations.

.

(c)

Annual report

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter for three additional years, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report regarding the outreach methods under subsection (c) of section 1169 of such title. Elements of such report shall include the following:

(1)

The respective rates of success, in attempting to contact veterans, for such methods.

(2)

With regards to each such method, the number of times and percentage of attempts that the Secretary determined such attempt was unsuccessful.

(3)

With regards to unsuccessful attempts described in paragraph (2), a breakdown of which other methods of outreach the Secretary used to attempt to contact veterans.

(4)

With regards to each such method, the number of times and percentage of attempts that led to a veteran engaging with mental health services furnished by the Secretary.

(5)

The number and percentage of veterans who elected not to receive such outreach.

(d)

GAO review

Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the effect of the amendments made by this section. Elements of such report shall include—

(1)

the number of veterans who received—

(A)

mental health consultations under paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of section 1169 of such title;

(B)

outreach under paragraph (2) of such subsection; and

(C)

which outreach method under subsection (c) of such section was the most effective method to reach a veteran;

(2)

whether veterans reported barriers to seeking such consultations; and

(3)

such barriers, if any.

3.

Modification of certain housing loan fees

The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking June 9, 2034 each place it appears and inserting May 12, 2035.

May 4, 2026

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed