I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 149
To ensure that Members of Congress and Congressional staff receive health
care from the Department of Veterans Affairs instead of under the
Federal Health Benefits Program or health care exchanges.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY3, 2025
Mr. D
AVIDSONintroduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on
Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To ensure that Members of Congress and Congressional staff
receive health care from the Department of Veterans
Affairs instead of under the Federal Health Benefits
Program or health care exchanges.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lead by Example Act 4
of 2025’’. 5
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•HR 149 IH
SEC. 2. HEALTH CARE FURNISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF 1
VETERANS AFFAIRS TO MEMBERS OF CON-2
GRESS AND CONGRESSIONAL STAFF. 3
(a) H
EALTHCAREBENEFITS.—Notwithstanding any 4
other provision of law, beginning January 3, 2027, the 5
only health care plan that the Federal Government may 6
make available to Members of Congress and Congressional 7
staff with respect to their service as a Member of Congress 8
or Congressional staff shall be health care provided 9
through the Department of Veterans Affairs, including at 10
facilities of the Department and non-Department facilities 11
pursuant to chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, 12
and any other provision of law authorizing the Secretary 13
of Veterans Affairs to furnish such care to veterans, as 14
if such Members and staff were veterans. 15
(b) I
MPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Not later than Sep-16
tember 15, 2025, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and 17
the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall 18
jointly submit to Congress a plan to carry out subsection 19
(a), including recommendations for any legislative actions 20
the Secretary and the Director determine necessary to 21
carry out such subsection. 22
(c) D
EFINITIONS.—In this section: 23
(1) The term ‘‘Congressional staff’’ means the 24
employees described in section 2107(1) of title 5, 25
United States Code. 26
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•HR 149 IH
(2) The term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a 1
Member of the Senate or the House of Representa-2
tives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives, 3
and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico. 4
(3) The term ‘‘non-Department facility’’ has 5
the meaning given that term in section 1701 of title 6
38, United States Code. 7
Æ
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