Bill > HR421

This bill, the Classified Veterans Access to Care Act, requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish specific standards and procedures to ensure that veterans who participated in classified missions or served in sensitive units can receive mental health care without being forced to improperly disclose classified information. The VA will also need to provide guidance to its employees, including mental health professionals, on how to handle these situations and how to best engage with these veterans during treatment. Furthermore, the bill ensures that veterans have the option to identify themselves as having served in such capacities on relevant VA forms. Classified information is defined as any information requiring protection from unauthorized disclosure for national security reasons, and a covered veteran is one enrolled in the VA healthcare system, seeking mental health treatment, and who participated in a sensitive mission or served in a sensitive unit during their Armed Forces service.