Captain Paul W. 'Bud' Bucha VA Medical Center Act of 2025
This bill would rename the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center located in West Haven, Connecticut, after Captain Paul W. “Bud” Bucha, a Medal of Honor recipient and longtime advocate for veterans. Specifically, the medical center (and any current or future successor location) would be designated as the “Captain Paul W. ‘Bud’ Bucha VA Medical Center” or the “Captain Paul W. ‘Bud’ Bucha Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.” The act also requires that all references in federal law, regulations, maps, documents, and other records to the medical center reflect this new name. The bill does not include any new funding or program authorities; it is a naming designation that would affect branding, signage, and references in official records. The bill’s findings provide a biographical account of Bud Bucha, emphasizing his heroism in Vietnam, his status as a Medal of Honor recipient, his post-service veterans advocacy (including attention to post-traumatic stress), and his final years of care at the West Haven VA Medical Center. These findings serve to justify the designation and memorialize Bucha’s contributions to veterans and the broader community.
Key Points
- 1Official designation: The VA medical center in West Haven, CT, and any successor site, would be officially renamed to honor Captain Paul W. “Bud” Bucha.
- 2Scope of designation: The name would apply to the current facility and any future successor location, ensuring the new name is carried forward in all relevant references.
- 3Reference standard: Any federal reference to the medical center in laws, regulations, maps, documents, or other records would be treated as referring to the Captain Paul W. “Bud” Bucha VA Medical Center.
- 4Biographical findings: The bill includes extensive findings detailing Bucha’s life, heroism, Medal of Honor, PTSD advocacy, and care received at the West Haven center, illustrating the rationale for the honor.
- 5Funding and costs: The act does not authorize new funding; any associated costs (e.g., signage, administrative updates) would come from existing VA resources within normal operations.