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Bill

HB 609

HEALTH CARE/RECORDS: Provides for the exemption of fees for health records when requested for the federal and state veterans affairs departments

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Roy Adams and 35 co-sponsors

Exempts federal and state veterans affairs departments from health record request fees, reducing administrative costs for VA benefits processing but shifting expenses to healthcare providers.

Effective date: 08/01/2026.
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Bill Summary · HB 609

Legislative bill overview

HB 609 exempts veterans affairs departments (both federal and state) from paying fees when requesting health records from healthcare providers. This means the VA and state veterans agencies can access medical records without incurring the standard copying, processing, or administrative fees that patients and other requesters typically pay.

Why is this important

Healthcare providers often charge substantial fees for retrieving and duplicating medical records—costs that can accumulate when processing bulk requests. Exempting VA departments reduces administrative friction in processing veterans' benefits claims, disability evaluations, and medical care coordination, potentially accelerating benefits processing and improving healthcare continuity for veterans.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost shifting: Healthcare providers absorb these fees as lost revenue, which could be passed to other patients through higher costs or reduce resources available for record management
  • Scope ambiguity: The bill doesn't clarify whether this applies only to records directly related to service-connected conditions or all patient records requested by VA
  • Precedent concerns: Other government agencies and requesters may argue for similar exemptions, potentially expanding unpaid record requests broadly beyond veterans affairs

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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