To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transmit a veteran's history of opioid prescriptions to a Community Care health care provider.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8679
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-07: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-11T20:26:41Z
AI-Generated Summary
H.R. 8679: Summary
Purpose
To improve patient safety by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to share a veteran's history of opioid prescriptions with non-VA health care providers (known as Community Care providers) who treat veterans through VA-authorized services.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 1703C of title 38, United States Code, which sets standards for sharing VA health records.
- Adds a new requirement (paragraph 8 in subsection (a)) that the VA Secretary must transmit opioid prescription history from VA records to:
- Community Care providers furnishing care to eligible veterans under Section 1703.
- These providers via a Third Party Administrator (an intermediary that processes health care claims, as defined in Section 1703B).
- Adds a definition for "Third Party Administrator" in subsection (c).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a specific mandate for sharing opioid prescription data, which was not previously required under Section 1703C standards.
- Builds on existing VA record-sharing rules by targeting opioid history for Community Care coordination.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: VA must update systems to transmit opioid data, potentially increasing administrative workload and IT costs.
- Citizens (veterans): Better-coordinated care reduces risks like opioid misuse or overdose when using non-VA providers.
- Health care providers: Community Care providers gain critical patient history for safer prescribing.
- No direct impact on international relations.
Main Stakeholders
- Veterans eligible for Community Care (covered veterans).
- Department of Veterans Affairs (Secretary and staff responsible for implementation).
- Community Care providers (non-VA doctors, hospitals, etc., treating veterans).
- Third Party Administrators (companies handling VA claims processing).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Strengthens health data interoperability under VA law, aligning with broader efforts to combat the opioid crisis.
- Raises potential privacy concerns under laws like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), but focuses on authorized sharing for care.
- No apparent constitutional challenges; supports congressional oversight of VA operations.
- Politically bipartisan (introduced by multiple representatives), emphasizing veteran health safety.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (7)
Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11], Rep. Luttrell, Morgan [R-TX-8], Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36], Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4], Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5], Rep. Fuller, Clay [R-GA-14], Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-07: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2026-05-07: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-07: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to transmit a veteran’s history of opioid prescriptions to a Community Care health care provider. — issued 2026-05-07 — PDF (2 pages)