Bill Summary
The "Enhancing Faith-Based Support for Veterans Act of 2025" is a piece of legislation that seeks to amend Title 38 of the United States Code. This Act allows chaplains employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to voluntarily transmit the contact information of veterans to certain religious or faith-based organizations, but only if the veteran explicitly chooses to do so.
The Act defines a "spiritual assessment" as an evaluation conducted by a VA chaplain to gather spiritual information about a patient and to potentially inform their medical treatment plan. This legislative change aims to enhance the support available to veterans by facilitating connections with faith-based organizations that can provide additional spiritual and emotional assistance.
Possible Impacts
The "Enhancing Faith-Based Support for Veterans Act of 2025" could affect people in several ways:
1. **Improved Access to Spiritual Support**: Veterans who undergo spiritual assessments by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) chaplains will have the option to voluntarily share their contact information with religious or faith-based organizations. This could lead to increased access to spiritual and community support, allowing veterans to connect with organizations that align with their beliefs and values, which may enhance their emotional and psychological well-being.
2. **Enhanced Treatment Plans**: By allowing chaplains to gather spiritual information during assessments, the legislation may facilitate a more holistic approach to medical treatment. If veterans consent to share their spiritual needs with faith-based organizations, these organizations can provide tailored support that complements the medical treatment plan, potentially leading to better health outcomes and a more comprehensive recovery process.
3. **Privacy Concerns and Ethical Implications**: While the legislation permits voluntary sharing of contact information, it raises potential concerns regarding privacy and consent. Veterans may feel uncertain about how their information will be used and whether they can trust the organizations receiving it. This could lead to apprehension among some veterans about participating in spiritual assessments or sharing their information, potentially limiting the intended benefits of the legislation.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5758 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5758
To amend title 38, United States Code, to permit the voluntary
transmission of patient contact information to certain religious or
faith-based organizations by chaplains employed by the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 14, 2025
Mr. Self (for himself and Mr. Ciscomani) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to permit the voluntary
transmission of patient contact information to certain religious or
faith-based organizations by chaplains employed by the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Enhancing Faith-Based Support for
Veterans Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. VOLUNTARY TRANSMISSION OF PATIENT CONTACT INFORMATION TO
CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
CHAPLAINS.
Subchapter III of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section (and conforming
the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter accordingly):
``Sec. 1730D. Voluntary transmission by Department chaplains of patient
contact information to certain religious or faith-based
organizations
``(a) In General.--With respect to a patient on whom a chaplain
employed by the Department has conducted a spiritual assessment, such
chaplain may, at the election of the patient, transmit the contact
information of such patient to a non-Department religious or faith-
based organization specified by such patient.
``(b) Spiritual Assessment Defined.--In this section, the term
`spiritual assessment' means an evaluation of a patient entitled to
receive medical treatment under this chapter by a chaplain employed by
the Department to--
``(1) gather spiritual information about such patient; and
``(2) inform the medical treatment plan of such patient, if
applicable.''.
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