Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007
Latest action · Aug 3, 2007 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.
- IntroducedJun 27, 2007
- Passed HouseJul 30, 2007
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007 - (Sec. 2) Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to private, nonprofit entities to conduct workshop programs to assist in the therapeutic readjustment and rehabilitation of veterans who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations after the Persian Gulf War, or in combat during a period of hostilities after November 11, 1998, and are discharged or released from active duty on or after September 11, 2001 (covered veterans). Limits grant amounts to $100,000. Requires annual reports from the Secretary to the congressional veterans committees on the use of such grants and their benefits to covered veterans. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary to establish a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in remote rural areas. Limits grant amounts to $50,000. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 4) Makes permanent (currently ends on December 31, 2007) the VA authority to treat participants in the Department of Defense (DOD) chemical biological testing conducted by Deseret Test Center.
(Sec. 5) Extends through FY2009 VA authority to collect health care copayments and certain medical care cost recovery amounts from veterans receiving such care.
(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to carry out a program to provide, through contracts with community mental health centers, peer outreach services, peer support services, and readjustment and mental health services to covered veterans. Requires training for covered veterans and clinicians providing services under the program.
(Sec. 7) Revises provisions concerning a joint VA-Department of Labor demonstration program of referral and counseling for veterans transitioning from certain institutions (including penal institutions) and who are at-risk for homelessness to: (1) remove the "demonstration" designation; (2) require the program to be carried out in at least 12 (under current law, six) locations; and (3) extend the program through FY2011.
(Sec. 8) Removes the FY2003-FY2004 limit on the authorization of appropriations for a VA program to provide domiciliary care programs for homeless veterans. Requires the Secretary to ensure that such programs are adequate, with respect to capacity and safety, to meet the needs of women veterans.
(Sec. 9) Directs the Secretary to provide financial assistance to private nonprofit organizations or consumer cooperatives to provide and coordinate supportive services for very low-income (less than 50% of the median income for the area) veteran families residing in permanent housing. Provides a preference for families who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. Requires: (1) the provision of such assistance to be equitably distributed across geographic regions, including rural communities and tribal lands; and (2) the Secretary to provide appropriate training and technical assistance to entities providing such services. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 10) Makes homeless veterans eligible for dental care through the VA after receiving certain other types of care (such as domiciliary or community residential care) through the VA for 30 (under current law, 60) consecutive days.
Cosponsors 23
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 27, 2007 to Jul 23, 2007; 17 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Bob Filner | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-TX | Ciro D. Rodriguez | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-FL | Corrine Brown | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-IA | David Loebsack | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-AZ | Harry E. Mitchell | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-CA | Jerry McNerney | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-IN | Joe Donnelly | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-NY | John J. Hall | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-CO | John T. Salazar | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-IA | Leonard L. Boswell | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-NY | Michael A. Arcuri | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-PA | Patrick J. Murphy | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-IL | Phil Hare | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-NV | Shelley Berkley | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-SD | Stephanie Herseth Sandlin | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-FL | Tim Mahoney | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-MN | Timothy J. Walz | Original | Jun 27, 2007 |
| D-KS | Nancy E. Boyda | Jul 18, 2007 | |
| D-VT | Peter Welch | Jul 18, 2007 | |
| D-ME | Thomas H. Allen | Jul 18, 2007 | |
| D-OH | Zachary T. Space | Jul 18, 2007 | |
| R-AK | Don Young | Jul 23, 2007 | |
| D-PA | Jason Altmire | Jul 23, 2007 |
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 Jun 27, 2007Markup Jul 17, 2007Reported Jul 27, 2007 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Jun 27, 2007Markup Jul 11, 2007Reported Jul 11, 2007 | |
| Senate | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Aug 4, 2007 |
Actions 17
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Aug 3, 2007Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Jul 31, 2007Received in the Senate.
- Jul 30, 2007Mr. Filner moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 30, 2007Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR 7/31/2007 H8892-8897)
- Jul 30, 2007DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2874.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E1775 | Heath Shuler D-NC | Aug 4, 2007 |
| House | Debate and remarks H8892–H8897Text printed H8892–H8895 | Bob Filner D-CA, Ciro D. Rodriguez D-TX, Jeff Miller R-FL, Michael H. Michaud D-ME, Patrick J. Kennedy D-RI, Patrick J. Murphy D-PA, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin D-SD | Jul 30, 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 27, 2007H.R. 2874, Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on July 17, 2007</p>
- Jul 27, 2007H.R. 2874, Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on July 17, 2007
Printed hearings 7
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 110-784 | HOUSING OUR HEROES, ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF HOMELESS VETERANS IN AMERICA84 pages | Appropriations Committee | May 1, 2008 |
| S. Hrg. 110-767 | OVERSIGHT HEARING: MAKING VA THE WORKPLACE OF CHOICE FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS109 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Apr 9, 2008 |
| Serial No. 110-80 | ENDING HOMELESSNESS FOR OUR NATION’S VETERANS171 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Apr 9, 2008 |
| Serial No. 110-73 | MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR FAMILIES: SUPPORTING THOSE WHO SUPPORT OUR VETERANS99 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Feb 28, 2008 |
| Serial No. 110-63 | LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON H.R. 2790, H.R. 3458, H.R. 3819, H.R. 4053, H.R. 4107, H.R. 4146, H.R. 4204, AND H.R. 423178 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Jan 17, 2008 |
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL33993 | Veterans’ Health Care Issues Archived | Report | Nov 30, 2007 |
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 make certain improvements in the provision of health care to veterans, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Access to health care
- Afghanistan
- Agriculture and Food
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Armed forces reserves
- Arts, Culture, Religion
- Authors and authorship
- Case management
- Clinics
- Community health services
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Counseling
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Day care
- Demography
- Dental care
- Directories
- Disaster relief
- Drug abuse
- Drug abuse treatment
- Economics and Public Finance
- Education
- Emergency Management
- Families
- Family services
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Financial services
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Government service contracts
- Grants-in-aid
- Health
- Health counseling
- Health education
- Health insurance
- Homeless
- Housing and Community Development
- Housing subsidies
- Iraq
- Iraq compilation
- Labor and Employment
- Law
- Legal aid
- Low-income housing
- Medical records
- Mental health services
- Middle East and North Africa
- Military occupation
- Military operations
- National Guard
- Nonprofit organizations
- Performing arts
- Personal budgets
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologists
- Public speaking
- Rental housing
- Rural health
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Shelters for the homeless
- Social Welfare
- South Asia
- Telemedicine
- Terrorism
- Transportation and Public Works
- Veterans' benefits
- Veterans' education
- Veterans' employment
- Veterans' hospitals
- Veterans' medical care
- Veterans' rehabilitation
- Vocational guidance
- Women
- Women veterans
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Aug 3, 2007Referred in Senate
- Jul 30, 2007Engrossed in House
- Jul 27, 2007Reported in House
- Jun 27, 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.
