Summary
# PLAIN ENGLISH SUMMARY: H.R. 411 (Lead by Example Act of 2023)
## WHAT THIS BILL DOES
This bill requires Members of Congress and Congressional staff to receive health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs instead of their current health insurance programs. The bill treats Congress members and their staff as if they were veterans for purposes of receiving health care benefits.
## WHO IT AFFECTS
- Members of the Senate and House of Representatives
- Delegates to the House of Representatives
- The Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico
- Congressional staff employees (as defined in federal law)
- The Department of Veterans Affairs
- The Office of Personnel Management (a federal agency that manages employee benefits)
## KEY PROVISIONS
- Congress members and Congressional staff will receive health care only through the Department of Veterans Affairs starting January 3, 2025, including care at VA facilities and non-VA facilities authorized under federal law (Sec. 2(a))
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management must jointly create and submit a plan to Congress by September 15, 2023 showing how to carry out this change, including any recommended legislative actions needed (Sec. 2(b))
- Health care will be provided to Congress members and staff "as if such Members and staff were veterans" under existing veterans health care laws (Sec. 2(a))
## WHAT CHANGES
If this bill becomes law, Congress members and their staff lose access to the Federal Health Benefits Program and health care exchanges. Instead, they will use the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system exclusively beginning January 3, 2025.
## IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
- **Congressional staff**: Employees as described in federal law (title 5, United States Code, section 2107)
- **Member of Congress**: Senators, House members, House Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico
- **Non-Department facility**: Any health care facility outside the VA that is authorized to provide care under federal law (title 38, United States Code, section 1701)
## EFFECTIVE DATE
January 3, 2025
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 411
To ensure that Members of Congress and Congressional staff receive health
care from the Department of Veterans Affairs instead of under the
Federal Health Benefits Program or health care exchanges.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 20, 2023
Mr. DAVIDSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on
Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To ensure that Members of Congress and Congressional staff
receive health care from the Department of Veterans
Affairs instead of under the Federal Health Benefits
Program or health care exchanges.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lead by Example Act
4
of 2023’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
03:16 Jan 31, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H411.IH
H411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2
•HR 411 IH
SEC. 2. HEALTH CARE FURNISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF
1
VETERANS AFFAIRS TO MEMBERS OF CON-
2
GRESS AND CONGRESSIONAL STAFF.
3
(a) HEALTH CARE BENEFITS.—Notwithstanding any
4
other provision of law, beginning January 3, 2025, the
5
only health care plan that the Federal Government may
6
make available to Members of Congress and Congressional
7
staff with respect to their service as a Member of Congress
8
or Congressional staff shall be health care provided
9
through the Department of Veterans Affairs, including at
10
facilities of the Department and non-Department facilities
11
pursuant to chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code,
12
and any other provision of law authorizing the Secretary
13
of Veterans Affairs to furnish such care to veterans, as
14
if such Members and staff were veterans.
15
(b) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Not later than Sep-
16
tember 15, 2023, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and
17
the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall
18
jointly submit to Congress a plan to carry out subsection
19
(a), including recommendations for any legislative actions
20
the Secretary and the Director determine necessary to
21
carry out such subsection.
22
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
23
(1) The term ‘‘Congressional staff’’ means the
24
employees described in section 2107(1) of title 5,
25
United States Code.
26
VerDate Sep 11 2014
03:16 Jan 31, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H411.IH
H411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3
•HR 411 IH
(2) The term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a
1
Member of the Senate or the House of Representa-
2
tives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives,
3
and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
4
(3) The term ‘‘non-Department facility’’ has
5
the meaning given that term in section 1701 of title
6
38, United States Code.
7
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
03:16 Jan 31, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H411.IH
H411
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS