Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia's Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordinator Act Unanimously Passes the House

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia'sWomen Veterans Cancer Care Coordinator Act (H.R. 1860) passed unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congresswoman Garcia (D-TX-29) introduced the legislation in March, alongside Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), the Ranking Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health, to strengthen care for women veterans facing breast and gynecologic cancers.

The bill passed the Republican-led House by a unanimous voice vote under suspension of the rules - a process reserved for broadly supported, bipartisan measures that allows bills to receive quick consideration on the floor.

This commonsense legislation will ensure that women veterans facing breast and gynecologic cancers have a dedicated care coordinator to guide them through every step of their treatment-helping them navigate appointments, track treatments, and avoid delays between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and outside community care providers.

The bill creates Regional Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Care Coordinators within each of the VA's Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISNs) - the 18 regional health care networks that oversee and coordinate all VA medical centers and clinics in their area.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Watch Congresswoman Garcia speak in support of the bill on the House floor HERE.

Read Congresswoman Garcia's remarks, as delivered, below:

"Women veterans are the fastest-growing group using VA healthcare services today-and I'm proud to say more of them call Texas home than any other state in the nation.

"As this population ages-keep in mind the average woman veteran is 54-they become more likely to develop cancers.

"The average age of women veterans diagnosed with breast cancer is 58, and the average age for reproductive cancers is 55.

"For many of these veterans, the road ahead is not as clear as it should be. Many VA centers are still building out their services [for women], so women often are connected with community care.

"But when they move outside the VA network, problems start piling up. Records don't transfer. Systems don't update with the latest data. That means more phone calls, more waiting, more back-and-forth. More frustrations.

"Women veterans and their families could be using this energy and time on their treatment and journey to recovery.

"A cancer diagnosis shakes your sense of stability. These women need a care system that works for them, not one that makes them fight to get the care that they need.

"By connecting them with dedicated coordinators at VA to guide them on the path to remission, we can help these mothers, sisters, and heroes stay in the fight.

"We made a commitment to these women veterans. Now we must do everything in our power to keep that promise-and to save their lives.

"This is a common-sense bill. It passed out of committee on a voice vote, and I trust the same will happen here."

Why This Bill Is Needed

Women are the fastest-growing group in the U.S. veteran population, rising from just 4% of all veterans in 2000 to 11.3% in 2023. Today, about 2.1 million women have served our country - including more than 190,000 women veterans in Texas, the highest number in any state. By 2040, women veterans are projected to make up 18% of all veterans nationwide.

As this population ages, more women veterans are facing breast and gynecologic cancers. The average age of women veterans diagnosed with breast cancer is 58, and the average age for gynecologic cancer is 55.

To help address these challenges, the VA created the Breast and Gynecological Oncology System of Excellence (BGOSoE) in 2020 - a nationwide network of VA specialists working together to standardize and improve breast and gynecologic cancer care for women veterans.

Even with the BGOSoE, many still face delays and gaps when their treatment spans multiple facilities or community providers.

What the Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordinator Act Does

The Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordinator Act strengthens and expands the work of the BGOSoE by creating Regional Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Care Coordinators across the VA system.

These coordinators will:

• Serve as liaisons between VA clinicians and community care providers to ensure clear and timely communication.
• Maintain regular contact with veterans undergoing treatment to ensure they receive appropriate, continuous care.
• Track treatment outcomes and demographic data to improve the quality of cancer care.
• Provide veterans with emergency care information and mental health resources to support recovery and follow-up care.

Document cancer diagnoses and contact information for the community providers treating veterans to improve recordkeeping and care continuity. By closing these critical gaps in care coordination, the Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordinator Act will ensure that veterans who served our country are never left to face cancer alone.