Veterans Healthcare Equality Act of 2025
This bill would amend Title 38 of the U.S. Code to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity in connection with the furnishing of health care under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA). In practice, it would require VA health care providers and facilities (and potentially VA contractors) to treat individuals equally with respect to health services, regardless of their gender identity. The goal is to ensure that transgender and gender-nonconforming veterans have fair access to health care, aligning VA practices with civil rights principles. The bill is currently introduced and lacks a stated sponsor; as introduced, it would become law only if enacted by Congress and signed by the President. Because the full text isn’t provided here, the summary focuses on the bill’s stated purpose: to prohibit gender-identity discrimination in VA health care and to establish the mechanisms (policies, training, complaint processes, and enforcement) by which this prohibition would be carried out.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition of discrimination: The bill would bar discrimination in health care furnished by the VA on the basis of gender identity.
- 2Scope of coverage: Applies to health care services provided by VA and possibly to VA contractors and facilities involved in furnishing VA health care.
- 3Compliance requirements: The VA would be obligated to implement nondiscrimination policies, ensure staff training, and maintain processes to prevent discriminatory practices in the delivery of health care.
- 4Complaints and remedies: The bill would establish a process for filing discrimination complaints and outline available remedies or corrective actions when discrimination is found.
- 5Definitions and protections: The bill would define gender identity for purposes of the law and clarify that discriminatory actions or barriers to care based on gender identity are not permissible.