Disabled Veterans Service Dog and Health Care Improvement Act of 2001
Latest action · Oct 24, 2001 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedAug 2, 2001
- Passed HouseOct 23, 2001
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
(Sec. 102) Requires maintenance of the capacity to provide for the specialized treatment and rehabilitative needs of disabled veterans in each geographic service area of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Provides separate capacity measurement requirements for: (1) seriously mentally ill veterans; and (2) veterans with spinal cord dysfunction, traumatic brain injury, blindness, or prosthetics and sensory aids. Extends until April 2004 a required annual compliance report from the Secretary to the congressional veterans' committees. Requires each such report to be certified by or commented upon by the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(Sec. 103) Revises the threshold used to determine a veteran's eligibility for health care to reflect locality cost-of-living variations. Prohibits more than a five percent Department resource reallocation after implementation of such revision.
(Sec. 104) Directs the Secretary to assess, and report to Congress on, all special telephone services for veterans provided by the Department.
(Sec. 105) Recodifies certain veterans' health-related authorities.
Directs the Secretary to provide consultation, counseling, training, and mental health services to family members in connection with a veteran receiving treatment for a service-connected disability, and authorizes the Secretary to provide such services in connection with a veteran receiving treatment for a non-service-connected disability. Authorizes related travel and transportation expenses.
Authorizes the Secretary to provide: (1) bereavement counseling to family members of veterans who die in the line of duty or veterans who were participating in a hospice program; and (2) humanitarian hospital or medical care in emergency cases (for a charge).
Extends through FY 2007 the Secretary's authority to charge certain medical care copayments.
(Sec. 107) Directs the Secretary to: (1) evaluate and study the feasibility and desirability of providing a personal emergency response system to veterans who have service-connected disabilities; and (2) report results to the veterans' committees. Allows the Secretary to provide such a system upon a positive evaluation.
Title II: Chiropractic Services - Establishes in the VHA a Chiropractic Service, headed by a Director.
(Sec. 202) Directs the Secretary to establish a program to provide chiropractic care to veterans through all Department medical centers through a gradual implementation process under which all centers offer such care by the end of FY 2006. Requires 30 medical centers to participate initially in such program and requires the program to be carried out through personal service contracts with licensed chiropractors. Requires the chiropractic services provided to include care for neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. Allows a veteran to choose a chiropractor as his or her primary care provider. Directs the Secretary to provide training and chiropractic services information to Department health care providers assigned to primary care teams to familiarize such providers with veterans' chiropractic services benefits. Establishes an advisory committee to review program implementation and requires the Secretary to report to the veterans' committees on such implementation.
Title III: National Commission on VA Nursing - Establishes in the Department the National Commission on VA Nursing to: (1) consider legislative and organizational policy changes to enhance the Department's recruitment and retention of nurses; (2) assess the future of the Department's nursing profession; and (3) report its findings and conclusions to Congress and the Secretary. Requires a report from the Secretary to Congress after the Commission report. Terminates the Commission 90 days after its report.
Cosponsors 12
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Aug 2, 2001 to Oct 11, 2001; 2 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-NJ | Christopher H. Smith | Original | Aug 2, 2001 |
| R-CT | Rob Simmons | Original | Aug 2, 2001 |
| R-NH | Charles F. Bass | Sep 14, 2001 | |
| D-CA | Bob Filner | Oct 9, 2001 | |
| R-MS | Charles W. "Chip" Pickering | Oct 10, 2001 | |
| R-CA | Howard P. "Buck" McKeon | Oct 10, 2001 | |
| D-IN | Julia Carson | Oct 10, 2001 | |
| R-FL | Michael Bilirakis | Oct 10, 2001 | |
| R-ID | Michael K. Simpson | Oct 10, 2001 | |
| D-NM | Tom Udall | Oct 10, 2001 | |
| R-SD | John Thune | Oct 11, 2001 | |
| D-MS | Ronnie Shows | Oct 11, 2001 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Aug 2, 2001Markup Oct 10, 2001Reported Oct 16, 2001 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Aug 15, 2001Hearings Sep 6, 2001Markup Oct 4, 2001Reported Oct 4, 2001 | |
| Senate | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Oct 24, 2001 |
Actions 17
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 24, 2001Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Oct 23, 2001Mr. Moran (KS) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Oct 23, 2001Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7143-7147)
- Oct 23, 2001DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2792.
- Oct 23, 2001Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text of measure as passed House: CR H7143-7146)
- Oct 23, 2001Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Oct 16, 2001Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 107-242.
- Oct 16, 2001Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 146.
- Oct 10, 2001Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Oct 10, 2001Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Oct 4, 2001Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Oct 4, 2001Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Sep 6, 2001Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- Aug 15, 2001Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Aug 3, 2001Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1532-1533)
- Aug 2, 2001Introduced in House
- Aug 2, 2001Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H7143–H7147Text printed H7143–H7146 | Benjamin A. Gilman R-NY, Jerry Moran R-KS, Lane Evans D-IL | Oct 23, 2001 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E1532 | Jerry Moran R-KS | Aug 3, 2001 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 2
- Oct 12, 2001H.R. 2792, Disabled Veterans Service Dog and Health Care Improvement Act of 2001<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on October 10, 2001</p>
- Oct 12, 2001H.R. 2792, Disabled Veterans Service Dog and Health Care Improvement Act of 2001Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on October 10, 2001
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 107-10 | H.R. 2792, THE DISABLED VETERANS SERVICE DOGS AND HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2001 AND RELATED LEGISLATIVE MATTERS179 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Sep 6, 2001 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 3447 | Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 | Related bill | Jan 23, 2002 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make service dogs available to disabled veterans and to make various other improvements in health care benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Disabled Veterans Service Dog and Health Care Improvement Act of 2001
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- Disabled Veterans Service Dog and Health Care Improvement Act of 2001
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Disabled Veterans Service Dog and Health Care Improvement Act of 2001
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Access to health care
- Ambulatory care
- Animals
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Blind
- Brain
- Chiropractic and chiropractors
- Coinsurance
- Collection of accounts
- Communication in medicine
- Community health services
- Congress
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Cost of living adjustments
- Counseling
- Deaf
- Death
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Disabled
- Disabled veterans
- Dogs
- Drug abuse
- Drug abuse treatment
- Emergency communication systems
- Emergency medical services
- Executive reorganization
- Families
- Federal advisory bodies
- Federal employees
- Federal officials
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government publicity
- Government service contracts
- Head injuries
- Health
- Health counseling
- Hearing disorders
- Hospices (Terminal care)
- Hospital care
- Labor and Employment
- Legislation
- Managed care
- Medical economics
- Mental care facilities
- Mental health services
- Mentally ill
- Nurses
- Nursing
- Nursing homes
- Prosthesis
- Recruiting of employees
- Rehabilitation of the disabled
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Self-help devices for the disabled
- Social Welfare
- Spinal cord injuries
- Surveys
- Survivors' benefits
- Telephone
- Transportation and Public Works
- Travel costs
- Veterans' benefits
- Veterans' hospitals
- Veterans' medical care
- Veterans' rehabilitation
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Oct 24, 2001Referred in Senate
- Oct 23, 2001Engrossed in House
- Oct 16, 2001Reported in House
- Aug 2, 2001Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
