# What This Bill Does

Congress is trying to block a new rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs that would expand reproductive health services for veterans. The VA published this rule in September 2022, and this bill is essentially Congress saying "we don't approve of this, so it shouldn't go into effect."

To understand what's actually at stake, you need to know that the VA rule would have allowed the department to provide a broader range of reproductive health services to veterans—this includes things like fertility treatments, contraception, and pregnancy-related care. The veterans affected would primarily be those who use the VA health system for their medical care. The rule was the VA's way of modernizing what services they could offer, especially to female veterans and veterans in same-sex relationships who previously had limited access to these types of services through the VA.

If this bill passes both the House and Senate, the new VA rule gets canceled and has no legal effect. This means the VA would go back to its previous, more limited approach to reproductive health services. Veterans who were hoping to access fertility treatments, certain contraceptive options, or other reproductive services through the VA system would lose that access. The practical impact depends on where you live—veterans in areas with limited private healthcare options or those who rely on the VA for affordability would be most affected, as they'd have fewer options for these services.

This is one of those bills where Congress is using a special fast-track process to overturn a rule that an executive agency already put in place, rather than waiting for the normal legislative process.

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to "Reproductive Health Services".

Cloud, Michael

  <p>This joint resolution nullifies the interim final rule issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) titled <i>Reproductive Health Services</i> and published on September 9, 2022. The rule authorizes the VA to provide certain abortion-related care to veterans. The rule also applies to such care provided to beneficiaries covered under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA).</p>