The Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act would establish a two-year pilot program to evaluate the use of FDA-cleared OTC hearing aids for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, subject to clinical supervision and VA oversight. Require the VA Secretary to select at least two VA medical facilities in different Veterans Integrated Services Networks to conduct the pilot; and Require an interim report after the first year and a final report to Congress evaluating the program’s findings, effectiveness, and fiscal impact of the program on the VA.
Establish a two-year Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program to evaluate FDA-cleared over-the-counter hearing aids for eligible veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, with clinical supervision, VA oversight, and reports to Congress.
Occurrences
Congressman Keith Self and Congressman Kevin Mullin introduced the Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act which would improve access to over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for eligible veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Evidence
Rep. Keith Self's office says he and Rep. Kevin Mullin introduced the Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act. The release says the bill would establish a two-year pilot program to evaluate FDA-cleared OTC hearing aids for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, with clinical supervision, VA oversight, at least two VA facilities, and interim and final reports to Congress.
Congress.gov lists S.3739, the Senate companion bill, with status Introduced and latest action on 01/29/2026: read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The tracker steps shown after Introduced include Passed Senate, Passed House, To President, and Became Law, which are not completed.
Congress.gov still lists S.3739 as introduced; the latest action is "read twice and referred" to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Assessments
Keith Self and a Senate companion bill were introduced to create the exact two-year VA pilot, but the record shows only introduction and referral, not enactment or an operating program. That is concrete legislative effort, but the promised outcome has not been delivered on the available record.
Self materially advanced the promised policy by introducing the Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act in the House during his current federal term, and the bill text matches the proposed two-year VA pilot for FDA-cleared OTC hearing aids with oversight and congressional reporting. However, the available official status shows the companion bill only introduced and referred, with no enactment and no evidence that VA has established or begun the pilot. Because the proposal remains pending rather than delivered, the promise is not yet fulfilled, but earns effort credit.