Bill · S. 4137· Senate(119-S-4137)
RECOVER Act
- Introduced
- 3/18/2026
- Last activity
- 3/18/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Marsha Blackburn
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the RECOVER Act, directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to run a three-year pilot program. The program provides grants to non-profit mental health care providers to offer culturally competent, evidence-based care to veterans. These funds can be used to operate or establish outpatient facilities and encourage veterans to enroll in the Department of Veterans Affairs patient enrollment system. The Secretary is tasked with distributing grants across rural and urban areas, potentially prioritizing medically underserved areas or locations with high-risk veteran populations. The program includes specific requirements for clinician training and accountability regarding clinical outcomes.
Yes· 3 of 7
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+9
The bill specifically targets veterans for improved access to specialized, culturally competent mental health services.
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?+9
The bill provides direct funding to expand mental health services specifically for the veteran population.
Does this make mental health care easier to get?+8
The bill establishes a pilot program to provide grants to non-profit outpatient facilities to offer evidence-based mental health care to veterans.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Access to Specialized Care: The bill provides grants for the provision of culturally competent, evidence-based mental health care for veterans (Section 2(a)).
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Facility Expansion and Support: Funds can be used to operate existing outpatient mental health facilities or establish new ones specifically for veteran care (Section 2(d)(1)(B)).
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Financial Protections for Veterans: Grant recipients are prohibited from charging veterans any fee associated with receiving mental health care under this pilot program (Section 2(d)(2)(A)).
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Non-Discriminatory Care: Recipients cannot refuse mental health care to a veteran based on whether they are eligible for reimbursement through certain health plans or government programs (Section 2(d)(2)(B)).
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Targeted Support for High-Need Areas: The Secretary may prioritize facilities in areas that are medically underserved, have large veteran populations, are near military installations, or have large numbers of veterans at high risk of suicide (Section 2(e)(3)).
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Geographic Equity: The Secretary must ensure grants are distributed evenly among facilities in both rural and urban areas (Section 2(e)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Grant Limitations for High-Reliance Facilities: For facilities that received at least 50 percent of their operating budget from Federal grants in the previous year, the grant amount is capped at a lower amount, which may be less than $1,500,000 (Section 2(f)(1)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Veterans+9Good For Rural Residents+6Good For Low Income Households+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Mental Health Access+8Improves Healthcare Access+7
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+9
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+5
- 3/18/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.