Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009
Latest action · Apr 22, 2009 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-76.
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 19, 2009
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay travel expenses for veterans receiving treatment at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities at the rate of 41.5 cents per mile. (Under current law the rate is that provided to federal employees in connection with the performance of official duties.)
Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish and operate at least one and up to five centers of excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical activities; (2) establish a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas; (3) carry out demonstration projects to examine alternatives for expanding care for veterans in rural areas; (4) establish a program to provide peer support, readjustment, and mental health services to veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (and related services to their family members); (5) assign an Indian Veterans Health Care Coordinator for each of the ten VA facilities that serve communities with the greatest per capita number of Indian veterans; (6) report to Congress jointly with the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the advisability of the joint establishment and operation by the VA's Veterans Health Administration and the Indian Health Service of health clinics to serve populations of Indian reservations, including Indian veterans; and (7) report annually to Congress on matters related to VA care for veterans residing in rural areas.
Cosponsors 11
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 20, 2009 to Sep 28, 2010.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-SD | John Thune | Apr 20, 2009 | |
| D-AK | Mark Begich | Apr 20, 2009 | |
| D-AR | Blanche L. Lincoln | Apr 28, 2009 | |
| D-IL | Roland Burris | Apr 28, 2009 | |
| D-MO | Claire McCaskill | May 13, 2009 | |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | May 18, 2009 | |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Jun 22, 2009 | |
| D-AR | Mark L. Pryor | Sep 17, 2009 | |
| D-OR | Ron Wyden | Oct 15, 2009 | |
| D-PA | Robert P. Casey Jr. | Nov 10, 2009 | |
| R-ME | Susan M. Collins | Sep 28, 2010 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Mar 19, 2009Hearings Apr 22, 2009 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 22, 2009Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-76.
- Mar 19, 2009Introduced in Senate
- Mar 19, 2009Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 111-76 | HEARING ON PENDING HEALTH-RELATED LEGISLATION175 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Apr 22, 2009 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 2879 | Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 | Identical bill | Mar 25, 2010 |
| HR 4006 | Rural, American Indian Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 | Related bill | Mar 25, 2010 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care for veterans who live in rural areas, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Afghanistan
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Asia
- Congressional oversight
- Health care coverage and access
- Health facilities and institutions
- Indian social and development programs
- Iraq
- Mental health
- Middle East
- Military operations and strategy
- Minority health
- Rural conditions and development
- Transportation costs
- Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
- Veterans' medical care
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 19, 2009Introduced in Senate
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.
