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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.Jun 2, 2026

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

The bill changes the criteria for reporting veterans to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (), potentially altering who is included in the database based on their VA benefit management status.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Veterans receiving VA benefits

The bill changes the conditions under which their personal information is shared with federal law enforcement databases.

Department of Veterans Affairs

The agency must change its data-sharing protocols regarding beneficiaries with fiduciaries.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from reporting a veteran's personal information to the federal background check system solely because the veteran has been assigned a to manage their benefits. It requires a judicial order or finding that the individual is a danger to themselves or others before such information can be shared for firearm background checks.

Key Facts

  • Prohibits the VA Secretary from sending a beneficiary's personally identifiable information to the DOJ for the NICS background check system.
  • Applies this prohibition specifically to cases where the VA has determined a beneficiary needs a fiduciary to manage their benefits.
  • Requires a judicial order or finding from a judge or magistrate stating the beneficiary is a danger to themselves or others before the VA can transmit such information to the NICS.
  • Amends Chapter 55 of title 38, United States Code, by adding section 5501B.
  • The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on February 6, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does having a fiduciary automatically mean I will be reported to the NICS background check system?
Under current law, the VA may report this information. This bill would prohibit the VA from doing so solely based on the assignment of a , unless a judge has also found the individual to be a danger to themselves or others.
What is the NICS?
The National Instant Criminal Background Check System is a database used by the Department of Justice to determine if a person is eligible to purchase or possess firearms.

Why It Matters

The bill changes the criteria for reporting veterans to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (), potentially altering who is included in the database based on their VA benefit management status.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

AARP

$4,110,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDLAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIME/CRIMINAL JUSTICEPHARMACY

P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology

Voting Record

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Shift in VA Data Reporting

The bill represents a move toward requiring judicial intervention before the VA can share beneficiary data with the DOJ for background check purposes.

Connected Entities

personMr. BostPrimary sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives.Map →
organizationDepartment of JusticeThe agency that manages the national instant criminal background check system.Map →
organizationDepartment of Veterans AffairsThe agency prohibited from transmitting certain beneficiary data to the DOJ.Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy80
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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