VHA OPEN Policies Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Maxine Dexter and 1 co-sponsor

The bill requires the VA to publicly post all VHA national policies online within 90 days and update them within 30 days of any revision.

Introduced in House

Purpose and intent

HR 9510, the Veterans Health Administration Online Publication and Easy Navigation of Policies Act of 2026 (the VHA OPEN Policies Act), would require public, online availability of all national policies of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

The aim is to improve transparency and accessibility of VHA policy materials for veterans, researchers, health care providers, and the general public.

Key provisions

Public accessibility (Section 2(a)): Within 90 days of enactment, the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health must publicly post on an appropriate Department of Veterans Affairs website all VHA national policies. Specifically, this includes:

Directives
Handbooks
Memoranda issued by the Under Secretary
Guidance and procedure guides necessary to understand and implement the national policies and any programs governed by such policies

Timely updates (Section 2(b)): For any national policy established or revised after enactment, the Under Secretary must add the new or revised policy to the website within 30 days of the policy’s establishment or revision.

Who/what is affected

The Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health (as the responsible VA official) would be required to compile, post, and maintain the full set of VHA national policies online.

The policy materials affected include directives, handbooks, Under Secretary memoranda, and related guidance/procedural documents that implement VHA national policies.

The measure primarily affects VA administrative processes, policy dissemination, and public access to government healthcare policy documents.

Procedural and timeline considerations

Enactment timeline: The initial posting deadline is 90 days after enactment.

Ongoing management: Any subsequent policy creation or revision must be reflected on the public website within 30 days of adoption or revision.

Oversight and accessibility: The bill prescribes public posting on an appropriate VA website, enhancing transparency and searchability for stakeholders.

Potential impact

Increased transparency and public access to VHA policies.

Improved ability for veterans, clinicians, and researchers to locate and understand policy directives and procedures governing VHA programs.

Potential operational implications for VA policy management, including ensuring timely posting and updating of documents and maintaining an accessible, user-friendly online repository.