Bill Summary
The "Written Informed Consent Act" aims to enhance the informed consent process for veterans receiving certain medications within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Specifically, it directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to amend an existing directive (Directive 1005, established on May 13, 2020) that currently pertains only to long-term opioid therapy for pain. The legislation requires this directive to be expanded to include informed consent for additional medication categories: antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and narcotics. The purpose of this act is to ensure that veterans are fully informed about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of these medications before they are prescribed, thereby promoting better patient understanding and safety in their treatment.
Possible Impacts
The "Written Informed Consent Act" could affect people in several ways:
1. **Enhanced Patient Awareness**: By expanding the informed consent directive to include a broader range of medications (antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and narcotics), veterans will be better informed about the risks, benefits, and alternatives associated with these medications. This could lead to more engaged patients who are actively involved in their treatment decisions, potentially improving health outcomes.
2. **Improved Safety and Monitoring**: With the requirement for informed consent on additional medication types, healthcare providers will need to ensure that veterans understand their treatment options and any associated risks. This could lead to improved monitoring of medication usage, reducing the likelihood of misuse or harmful side effects, particularly for medications with a high potential for dependency, like narcotics.
3. **Potential Barriers to Access**: While the intent of the legislation is to protect patients, the requirement for informed consent for more medications could create additional administrative burdens for healthcare providers. This could lead to delays in treatment or restricted access to necessary medications for some veterans, especially if the consent process is not efficiently implemented.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3314 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3314
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand a directive of
the Veterans Health Administration regarding informed consent to apply
to certain types of medications.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 2, 2025
Mr. Sheehy (for himself and Mr. Tuberville) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand a directive of
the Veterans Health Administration regarding informed consent to apply
to certain types of medications.
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 ``Written Informed Consent Act''.
SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF CERTAIN DIRECTIVE OF THE VETERANS HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION REGARDING INFORMED CONSENT TO APPLY TO
CERTAIN TYPES OF MEDICATIONS.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall update directive 1005 of
the Veterans Health Administration, dated May 13, 2020, and titled
``Informed Consent for Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Pain'', to apply to
the following types of medications:
(1) Antipsychotics.
(2) Stimulants.
(3) Antidepressants.
(4) Anxiolytics.
(5) Narcotics.
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