HR 801 · 107th Congress 2001–2003, ended

Veterans' Survivor Benefits Improvements Act of 2001

Introduced Feb 28, 2001 Originated House Became Public Law 107-14 Sponsor Christopher H. Smith R-NJ

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Jun 5, 2001 Became Public Law No: 107-14.

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.

  1. IntroducedFeb 28, 2001
  2. Passed HouseMar 27, 2001
  3. Passed SenateMay 24, 2001
  4. To the PresidentMay 25, 2001
  5. Became lawJun 5, 2001Public Law 107-14

Summary

Veterans' Survivor Benefits Improvements Act of 2001 - Makes an individual who is eligible for medical care under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) and who is also eligible for hospital insurance benefits under Medicare part A (title XVIII of the Social Security Act) eligible for medical care for his or her survivors and dependents if the individual is also enrolled in the Medicare part B supplemental insurance program. Provides payment limits.

(Sec. 4) Revises Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) provisions to: (1) permit members to purchase a maximum of $100,000 in SGLI coverage for their spouses; and (2) extend automatically to members' children $10,000 in such coverage. Outlines provisions concerning: (1) coverage effective dates and termination; (2) premium and proceeds payments; and (3) SGLI conversion to private insurance.

(Sec. 5) Makes retroactive to October 1, 2000, the increase from $200,000 to $250,000 in the maximum SGLI member benefit for members who die on duty between such date and March 31, 2001. (April 1, 2001, is the current effective date for such increase for all members.)

(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that: (1) the needs of eligible veterans' dependents are fully addressed; and (2) the availability of outreach and assistance for such dependents is made known through a variety of means, including the Internet and announcements in veterans publications and through the media.

(Sec. 7) Makes various technical amendments to Montgomery GI Bill provisions, including: (1) eligibility requirements; (2) the charging of entitlements; (3) the "buy-up" option; (4) contributions reimbursement; and (5) conversion from Veterans Educational Assistance Program coverage.

Recorded votes 1

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll callQuestionResultDate
House 63Passed417–0Mar 27, 2001

Cosponsors 40

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 28, 2001 to Mar 26, 2001; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-AZJ. D. HayworthOriginalFeb 28, 2001
D-ILLane EvansOriginalFeb 28, 2001
D-TXSilvestre ReyesOriginalFeb 28, 2001
R-AZBob StumpMar 8, 2001
R-SCFloyd SpenceMar 8, 2001
R-SCHenry E. Brown, Jr.Mar 8, 2001
R-UTJames V. HansenMar 8, 2001
R-FLMichael BilirakisMar 8, 2001
R-IDMichael K. SimpsonMar 8, 2001
R-CTRob SimmonsMar 8, 2001
R-INSteve BuyerMar 8, 2001
D-NJBill Pascrell, Jr.Mar 14, 2001
D-CABob FilnerMar 14, 2001
R-NJMarge RoukemaMar 14, 2001
R-MDRobert L. Ehrlich Jr.Mar 14, 2001
Show all 40 cosponsors

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseVeterans' Affairs Committee
Referred Feb 28, 2001Hearings Mar 15, 2001Markup Mar 21, 2001Reported Mar 26, 2001
SenateVeterans' Affairs Committee
Referred Mar 28, 2001Discharged May 24, 2001

Actions 26

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jun 5, 2001Signed by President.
  2. Jun 5, 2001Became Public Law No: 107-14.
  3. May 25, 2001Presented to President.
  4. May 24, 2001Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S5574-5577)
  5. May 24, 2001Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5574-5577)
Show all 26 actions

In the Congressional Record 7

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
HouseDebate and remarks H2894Jo Ann Davis R-VAJun 6, 2001
Senate · ExtensionsDebate and remarks E974Amendments S5760Arlen Specter D-PA (amendment), Jo Ann Davis R-VA, John D. Rockefeller IV D-WV (amendment), Mark Dayton D-MN (amendment)May 25, 2001
House · SenateDebate and remarks H2687–H2692, S5574–S5577Text printed H2687–H2690Amendments H2687Arlen Specter D-PA, Christopher H. Smith R-NJ, Craig Thomas R-WY, Jerry Moran R-KS, John D. Rockefeller IV D-WV, Lane Evans D-IL, Silvestre Reyes D-TXMay 24, 2001
HouseDebate and remarks H1263, H1280Christopher H. Smith R-NJ, Greg Ganske R-IAMar 28, 2001
HouseDebate and remarks H1126–H1137Text printed H1126–H1130Recorded votes H1155enactSummaries H1131Bill Pascrell, Jr. D-NJ, Christopher H. Smith R-NJ, Ciro D. Rodriguez D-TX, J. D. Hayworth R-AZ, James R. Langevin D-RI, Jo Ann Davis R-VA, Lane Evans D-IL, Mark Kirk R-IL, Michael Bilirakis R-FL, Michael F. Doyle D-PA, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Silvestre Reyes D-TX, Steve Buyer R-INMar 27, 2001
Show all 7 days

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 4

  1. Jun 4, 2001H.R. 801, Veterans' Survivor Benefits Improvements Act of 2001<p>Pay-as-you-go estimate for the bill as cleared by the Congress on May 24, 2001</p>
  2. Jun 4, 2001H.R. 801, Veterans' Survivor Benefits Improvements Act of 2001Pay-as-you-go estimate for the bill as cleared by the Congress on May 24, 2001
  3. Mar 22, 2001H.R. 801, Veterans' Opportunities Act of 2001<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on March 21, 2001</p>
  4. Mar 22, 2001H.R. 801, Veterans' Opportunities Act of 2001Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on March 21, 2001

Printed hearings 3

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
S. Hrg. 107-489PENDING BENEFITS LEGISLATION90 pagesVeterans' Affairs CommitteeJun 28, 2001
Serial No. 107-3H.R. 801, The Veterans' Opportunities Act of 2001, and VA's Implementation of Vet- erans' Transitional Housing Assistance159 pagesVeterans' Affairs CommitteeMar 15, 2001
S. Hrg. 107-393PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2002 BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR VA96 pagesVeterans' Affairs CommitteeMar 13, 2001

CRS reports 3

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 3

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

Amendments 1

Amendments offered to this bill.

AmendmentDescriptionOffered byStatus
SA 790To propose a substitute.Arlen Specter D-PAAmendment SA 790 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

Titles 8

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve programs of educational assistance, to expand programs of transition assistance and outreach to departing servicemembers, veterans, and dependents, to increase burial benefits, to provide for family coverage under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, and for other purposes.
Official Titles as Amended by Senate
An act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for CHAMPVA, to provide for family coverage and retroactive expansion of the increase in maximum benefits under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, to make technical amendments, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Veterans' Opportunities Act of 2001
Short Titles as Reported to House
Veterans Opportunities Act of 2001
Short Titles as Passed House
Veterans Opportunities Act of 2001
Short Titles as Passed Senate
Veterans' Survivor Benefits Improvements Act of 2001
Short Titles as Enacted
Veterans' Survivor Benefits Improvements Act of 2001
Popular Titles
Improving Veterans' Programs bill

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.

Text 6

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. —Enrolled Bill
  2. May 24, 2001Engrossed Amendment Senate
  3. Mar 28, 2001Referred in Senate
  4. Mar 27, 2001Engrossed in House
  5. Mar 26, 2001Reported in House
  6. Feb 28, 2001Introduced in House

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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.