H.R. 3951 — Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025

This section expands eligibility under the temporary licensure authority in section 504 of the Veterans Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (38 U.S.C. 5101 note)—which permits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to contract with licensed health care professionals in any state to perform medical disability examinations for veterans' benefits claims without a license in the state where the examination occurs—from physicians' assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, and psychologists to all professionals eligible for appointment in the Veterans Health Administration under 38 U.S.C. 7402(b) (i.e., physicians, dentists, nurses, and other specified occupations); delays the sunset of the authority to September 30, 2031 (from five years after enactment of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-315)); makes a conforming amendment; and directs VA to submit a report to the congressional Committees on Veterans' Affairs not later than 15 months after enactment of this Act that includes data for the one-year period following enactment on the number, cost, timeliness, and legal adequacy of examinations (disaggregated by professional and contract), geographic distribution, professional types used, erroneous examinations, and plans to correct errors.