ND North News

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has advanced two bills led by Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) aimed at improving health care access for rural veterans and expanding suicide prevention services in underserved states. The committee approved the bipartisan Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act and language from the Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act, sending both measures to the Senate floor.

“It doesn’t matter where a veteran lives, every veteran has earned access to quality and timely health care,” said Senator Cramer. “These bipartisan bills do a couple of things. The one ensures veterans across rural America, including North Dakota, can travel to their medical appointments, whether it’s in their community or at a VA facility. And then, it allows every veteran across the country to be able to receive suicide prevention support if they need it. It’s time to pass this measure on the Senate floor. I know it will pass easily; we just need our leadership to put it up.”

In April, Senators Cramer and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act. This bill would give priority consideration for SSG Fox SPGP applications in states like North Dakota and Delaware that have not previously received such grants. Five other states are also without these suicide prevention grants. The measure is part of the Helping Optimize Prevention and Engagement (HOPE) for Heroes Act, which reauthorizes SSG Fox SPGP funding and increases resources for mental health support entities serving veterans.

Cramer included similar provisions in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations package to improve suicide prevention service access for North Dakota veterans.

The Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act was introduced with Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK). If enacted, it would permanently reauthorize the VA Highly Rural Transportation Grant Program, which offers free transportation for rural veterans attending VA-authorized healthcare appointments. The legislation expands eligibility so that Tribal Organizations and Veterans Service Organizations can apply directly for grants and helps recipients purchase vehicles. Currently, 35 counties in North Dakota use this program.

Additionally, during its markup session, SVAC passed two bills cosponsored by Cramer: The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act would create a grant program supporting nonprofits that provide service dogs to eligible veterans—a continuation of efforts from the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act signed into law in 2021. Upon passage of PAWS in 2021, Cramer visited Service Dogs for America in Jud, N.D., an accredited nonprofit trainer.

Another measure advanced was the Veterans Cost of Living Adjustment Act, which mandates annual adjustments by the VA to compensation rates for disabled veterans as well as dependency and indemnity compensation rates for survivors of certain disabled veterans.