Rural Veterans Access to Care Act
Latest action · Sep 11, 2008 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.
- IntroducedMar 14, 2007
- Passed HouseSep 10, 2008
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Rural Veterans Access to Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a three-year pilot program under which a highly rural veteran who is enrolled in the system of patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and who resides within a designated area of the Veterans Integrated Service Network may elect to receive covered health services through a non-VA health care provider. Defines a "highly rural veteran" as one who: (1) resides more than 60 miles from the nearest VA facility providing primary care services, more than 120 miles from a VA facility providing acute hospital care, or more than 240 miles from a VA facility providing tertiary care (depending on which services the veteran needs); or (2) otherwise experiences such hardships or other difficulties in travel to the nearest appropriate VA facility that such travel is not in the best interest of the veteran. Requires an annual program assessment report, during the three-year period, from the Secretary to the congressional veterans' committees, which shall include recommendations for continuing the program.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 578 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed417–0 | Sep 10, 2008 |
Cosponsors 30
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 14, 2007 to Jul 31, 2008; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-IA | Tom Latham | Original | Mar 14, 2007 |
| R-MO | Jo Ann Emerson | Mar 27, 2007 | |
| R-WA | Doc Hastings | Apr 17, 2007 | |
| D-GA | Jim Marshall | Apr 24, 2007 | |
| R-PA | John E. Peterson | Apr 24, 2007 | |
| R-FL | Jeff Miller | Apr 25, 2007 | |
| R-PA | Phil English | May 1, 2007 | |
| D-TX | Henry Cuellar | May 3, 2007 | |
| R-OH | Paul E. Gillmor | May 3, 2007 | |
| R-KS | Todd Tiahrt | May 23, 2007 | |
| D-MN | Collin C. Peterson | Jun 19, 2007 | |
| R-TX | Randy Neugebauer | Dec 11, 2007 | |
| R-MI | Dave Camp | Feb 6, 2008 | |
| R-CA | John T. Doolittle | Apr 2, 2008 | |
| R-IL | Ray LaHood | Apr 2, 2008 | |
| R-NE | Lee Terry | Apr 9, 2008 | |
| D-OK | Dan Boren | Apr 14, 2008 | |
| R-MN | John Kline | Jun 18, 2008 | |
| D-CO | John T. Salazar | Jul 10, 2008 | |
| D-IL | Phil Hare | Jul 10, 2008 | |
| D-TX | Ciro D. Rodriguez | Jul 14, 2008 | |
| R-OR | Greg Walden | Jul 14, 2008 | |
| R-TX | Kevin Brady | Jul 14, 2008 | |
| D-KS | Nancy E. Boyda | Jul 14, 2008 | |
| D-ME | Michael H. Michaud | Jul 15, 2008 | |
| R-IN | Steve Buyer | Jul 15, 2008 | |
| R-AK | Don Young | Jul 29, 2008 | |
| D-GU | Madeleine Z. Bordallo | Jul 29, 2008 | |
| R-ID | Michael K. Simpson | Jul 30, 2008 | |
| R-PA | Bill Shuster | Jul 31, 2008 |
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 Mar 14, 2007Markup Jul 16, 2008Reported Aug 1, 2008 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Mar 16, 2007Hearings Apr 26, 2007Markup Jul 10, 2008Reported Jul 10, 2008 | |
| Senate | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Sep 11, 2008 |
Actions 19
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 11, 2008Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Sep 10, 2008Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H7968-7969)
- Sep 10, 2008Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 417 - 0 (Roll no. 578). (text: CR 9/09/2008 H7903)
- Sep 10, 2008Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Sep 10, 2008The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
In the Congressional Record 4
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 · Extensions | Debate and remarks E1760Recorded votes H7968enact | Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX | Sep 10, 2008 |
| House | Debate and remarks H7903, H7904, H7905, H7906, H7907Text printed H7903 | Al Green D-TX, Bob Filner D-CA, Ciro D. Rodriguez D-TX, Denny Rehberg R-MT, Jerry Moran R-KS, John J. Hall D-NY, John T. Salazar D-CO, Phil Hare D-IL, Steve Buyer R-IN | Sep 9, 2008 |
| House | Debate and remarks H7656 | Jerry Moran R-KS | Jul 31, 2008 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2723 | Jerry Moran R-KS | Mar 20, 2007 |
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
- Jul 31, 2008H.R. 1527, Rural Veterans Access to Care Act<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on July 16, 2008</p>
- Jul 31, 2008H.R. 1527, Rural Veterans Access to Care ActCost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on July 16, 2008
Printed hearings 2
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. 110-17 | OUTPATIENT WAITING TIMES66 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Dec 12, 2007 |
| Serial No. 110-24 | LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON H.R. 92, H.R. 315, H.R. 339, H.R. 463, H.R. 538 H.R. 542, H.R. 1426, H.R. 1470, H.R. 1471, H.R. 1527 H.R. 1944, AND DISCUSSION DRAFT OF THE ``RURAL VETERANS HEALTHCARE ACT OF 2007''105 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Apr 26, 2007 |
Titles 5
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend title 38, United States Code, to allow highly rural veterans enrolled in the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs to receive covered health services through providers other than those of the Department, and for other purposes.
- Official Titles as Amended by House
- A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot program to permit certain highly rural veterans enrolled in the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs to receive covered health services through providers other than those of the Department.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Rural Veterans Access to Care Act
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- Rural Veterans Access to Care Act
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Rural Veterans Access to Care Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Access to health care
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Clinics
- Community health services
- Drugs
- Government contractors
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government procurement
- Health
- Hospital care
- Housing and Community Development
- Iraq compilation
- Medical fees
- Physicians
- Prescription pricing
- Rural health
- Veterans' medical care
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 11, 2008Referred in Senate
- Sep 10, 2008Engrossed in House
- Aug 1, 2008Reported in House
- Mar 14, 2007Introduced 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.
