POW Priority Care Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5539 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5539

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to assign the highest priority 
  status for hospital care and medical services provided through the 
Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans who are former prisoners of 
                                  war.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 19, 2025

   Mr. Walberg (for himself, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, and Mr. Gottheimer) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to assign the highest priority 
  status for hospital care and medical services provided through the 
Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans who are former prisoners of 
                                  war.

    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 ``POW Priority Care Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. HIGHEST PRIORITY STATUS FOR ENROLLMENT OF FORMER PRISONERS OF 
              WAR IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) Enrollment.--Section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``and veterans'' and inserting ``, 
                veterans''; and
                    (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                ``, and veterans who are former prisoners of war.''; 
                and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``who are former 
        prisoners of war or''.
    (b) Extended Care Services.--Section 1710B(c)(2)(D) of such title 
is amended by inserting ``a veteran who is a former prisoner of war 
or'' before ``a veteran who''.
    (c) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section shall apply 
with respect to veterans who are former prisoners of war before, on, or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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