Veterans Infertility Treatment Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 220

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Armed Forces and National Security

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-02-11: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Last Updated

2026-06-19T08:05:41Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The Veterans Infertility Treatment Act of 2025 aims to expand access to fertility-related health care for veterans by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to cover infertility treatments and standard fertility preservation services. This addresses infertility issues that may arise from military service, such as those caused by injuries, medications, or treatments like chemotherapy.

Key Provisions

• Coverage for Treatments and Services: The VA must provide infertility treatments (including assisted reproductive technology, or ART, such as in vitro fertilization, or IVF) and standard fertility preservation services (e.g., freezing and storing eggs, sperm, or embryos) to eligible veterans and their partners, at the individual's choice.
• Limits on IVF: Coverage includes up to three completed IVF cycles that result in a live birth or 10 attempted cycles, whichever comes first. Donated eggs, sperm, or embryos can be used.
• Consent Requirements: Before providing IVF or other services, the VA needs written consent from the eligible person, the veteran (if the recipient is their partner), and any donor.
• No Additional Maternity Care Mandate: The law does not require the VA to provide pregnancy or childbirth care beyond what is already required under existing laws.
• State Law Governance: Issues like ownership, use, donation, or disposal of frozen eggs, sperm, or embryos follow the laws of the state where they are stored.
• Travel Reimbursement: Partners receiving these services qualify for VA travel expense payments, treated the same as veterans.
• Eligibility Definitions:
• Covered Veteran: An enrolled VA patient with infertility or at risk of it (based on medical history, age, tests, or upcoming treatments like radiation).
• Covered Individual: The veteran or their partner (defined as someone chosen by the veteran to share parenting duties for any child born from these treatments).
• Infertility: Defined as inability to reproduce, or failure to conceive/carry a pregnancy after one year of unprotected intercourse.
• Implementation Timeline:
• VA must issue regulations within one year of enactment.
• Services begin after regulations are set, but interim expansions start 180 days after enactment, including coverage for unmarried partners and use of donated materials.
• Existing patients can continue or switch to the new coverage, with prior services counting toward limits.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Previously, VA authority for fertility care was limited (e.g., under a 2022 appropriations law allowing counseling and treatment mainly for married veterans, without preservation services or donated materials). This bill makes coverage permanent by adding it to title 38 of the U.S. Code (which governs veterans' benefits).
• Expands eligibility to unmarried partners and includes fertility preservation (e.g., freezing genetic material before treatments that could cause infertility).
• Shifts from temporary funding-based authority to a statutory mandate, ensuring long-term access without annual appropriations battles.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: The VA will need to allocate resources for new services, train staff, develop regulations, and manage costs for treatments like IVF (which can be expensive). This could increase the VA's healthcare budget but formalizes support for service-related reproductive health issues.
• On Citizens: Eligible veterans and partners gain better access to fertility care, potentially helping those affected by military service (e.g., from combat injuries or cancer treatments) build families. It may reduce financial burdens for about 20-30% of veterans estimated to face infertility.
• On International Relations: No direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic VA benefits.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Veterans: Primarily those enrolled in VA care with infertility or at risk, including post-9/11 era service members exposed to toxins or trauma.
• Partners of Veterans: Individuals (married or unmarried) seeking joint fertility treatments.
• VA and Healthcare Providers: VA staff, fertility clinics (VA-contracted or internal), and donors of genetic material.
• Families: Potential beneficiaries through improved reproductive options, affecting future generations of military families.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Relies on state laws for handling frozen eggs, sperm, or embryos, which could lead to variations in rights (e.g., some states treat embryos as property, others as potential life). Consent rules protect against disputes but may complicate cases with donors.
• Constitutional: Expands equal access to benefits under the Fifth Amendment (due process for veterans' entitlements), potentially addressing disparities for service-related infertility without raising privacy concerns, as services are elective.
• Political: Strengthens veterans' health commitments in federal law, introduced with bipartisan co-sponsors, but could spark debates on costs, scope of VA benefits, and family policy (e.g., inclusion of unmarried partners aligns with evolving social norms). No overt constitutional challenges anticipated, as it builds on existing VA authority.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]

Cosponsors (82)

Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1], Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2], Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3], Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4], Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5], Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1], Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49], Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2], Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35], Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Turner, Sylvester [D-TX-18], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray, Jr. [D-CA-31], Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11], Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24], Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] and 32 more

Recent Actions

• 2025-02-11: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
• 2025-01-07: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
• 2025-01-07: Introduced in House
• 2025-01-07: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Veterans Infertility Treatment Act of 2025 — issued 2025-01-07 — PDF (8 pages)