Bill > HR5949

This bill establishes a pilot program to provide dental care to veterans living in rural and highly rural areas, which will run from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2029. The Department of Veterans Affairs will implement the program using mobile dental services, including vans with full diagnostic and treatment equipment, mobile dental clinics at community-based outpatient clinics or rural health fairs, and temporary structures at outreach events. When selecting locations for the program, priority will be given to areas more than 75 miles from existing VA dental clinics, regions with high concentrations of veterans with unmet dental needs, and rural areas with large veteran populations. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to submit annual reports to Congressional Veterans' Affairs Committees detailing the number of veterans served, program locations, operational costs, and a recommendation on whether to improve or permanently establish the pilot program. The goal is to increase dental care access for veterans in underserved, remote areas who may struggle to receive regular dental treatment due to geographic limitations.