Veterans get 62% mileage boost, deductibles eliminated for VA travel
H.R. 5277 — HEAL Act · Filed by Michael Lawler (R-NY) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 10, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill increases mileage reimbursement for veterans traveling to VA facilities by tying the rate to the federal General Services Administration rate (currently 67 cents per mile, versus the current 41.5 cents), eliminates deductibles for VA travel, and expands who can receive reimbursement to include veterans service organizations and local government veterans agencies providing transportation.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative purpose is to increase mileage reimbursement rates, eliminate travel deductibles, and broaden eligibility for reimbursement among veterans and transportation providers. It is a straightforward benefit expansion with no hidden mechanisms or riders.
What the text implies
- Tying mileage rate to GSA rate creates automatic annual adjustments without further legislative action, potentially increasing VA transportation costs over time as GSA rates rise.
- Expansion of reimbursement to veterans service organizations and local government agencies may increase administrative burden on VA to track and verify eligible providers.
- Elimination of deductibles removes a cost-sharing mechanism that previously applied to veteran beneficiaries, shifting full cost to the VA budget.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Veterans receive higher mileage reimbursement (approximately 62% increase), elimination of travel deductibles removes a direct cost barrier, and expanded eligibility for service organizations and local agencies increases transportation access. These changes directly reduce out-of-pocket costs and improve access to VA care for veterans.
Who stands to gain
- veterans (direct mileage reimbursement increase)
- veterans service organizations (newly eligible for reimbursement)
- local government veterans agencies (newly eligible for reimbursement)
Named in the bill
Department of Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, veterans service organizations, local government veterans agencies, 38 U.S.C. § 111, 38 U.S.C. § 111A, 38 U.S.C. § 1720G, 5 U.S.C. § 5707(b)
Where it stands
3 cosponsors: 2 Republicans, 1 Democrats.
- Sep 10, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Sep 10, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Veterans' Affairs · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (2,105 characters) on Oct 31, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,778 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-31.
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