H.R. 553: BRAVE Act

119th Congress · introduced 2025-01-16 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

BRAVE Act

Plain summary

Be Ready to Assist Veterans in Extremis Act or the BRAVE Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a patient outreach system under which it must ensure that veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have experienced a traumatic or highly stressful event may elect to receive information and resources relating to mental health and available mental health care services. The VA must coordinate the system with the Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Defense.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

BRAVE Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ed Case (D-HI), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), Susie Lee (D-NV), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Eugene Simon Vindman (D-VA), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Laura Gillen (D-NY)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1] reported raising $5.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119hr553.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hr>

Record fed-us-cong119-hr553 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills