Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Veterans Act of 2026

This bill mandates an independent evaluation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems currently deployed, in pilot, or under active development for clinical use within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is directed to seek an agreement with a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) within 90 days of enactment to conduct this evaluation. The FFRDC must prioritize at least five AI systems, focusing on those deployed at scale or presenting elevated clinical, operational, or patient safety risks.

The evaluation will be comprehensive, addressing critical aspects such as the integration and operational readiness of systems, their governance, monitoring, and accountability, and their performance and model integrity, including bias mitigation. It will also assess safety and human oversight, ensuring AI functions as a decision-support tool without supplanting clinical judgment, and evaluate veteran-centric design, cost-effectiveness, transparency, and scalability. The FFRDC will prioritize systems influencing diagnosis, treatment, or eligibility, or those impacting a significant veteran population.

The Secretary must ensure the FFRDC has timely access to all relevant VA information, including contracts, technical documentation, performance data, and incident reports. Within one year, the FFRDC must submit a report to the Secretary and Congress detailing findings, identifying risks, and providing recommendations for corrective action or suspension. Following this, the Secretary must submit a corrective action plan to Congress within 120 days, outlining specific actions, assigned responsibilities, and measurable milestones.

The Comptroller General will then review both the independent evaluation and the VA's corrective action plan, providing a briefing to Congress with any further recommendations. This initiative aims to ensure responsible and safe AI deployment within the VHA, utilizing existing departmental funds without requiring additional appropriations.