HR 2496 · 114th Congress 2015–2017, ended

Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act

Introduced May 21, 2015 Originated House Became Public Law 114-19 Sponsor Mike Coffman R-CO

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · May 22, 2015 Became Public Law No: 114-19.

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. IntroducedMay 21, 2015
  2. Passed HouseMay 21, 2015
  3. Passed SenateMay 22, 2015
  4. To the PresidentMay 22, 2015
  5. Became lawMay 22, 2015Public Law 114-19

Summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.)

Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act

(Sec. 2) This bill authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out the replacement of the existing VA Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, in FY2015 in an amount not to exceed $900 million.

(Sec. 3) The 40-mile distance requirement for a veteran to use a non-VA medical facility under the veterans choice program of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 shall be construed to allow a veteran to access a non-VA medical facility if:

  • the veteran resides more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA facility; or
  • the veteran faces an unusual or excessive burden in traveling to such VA medical facility not only because of geographical challenges (as under current law) but also because of environmental factors, such as roads that are not accessible to the general public, traffic, or hazardous weather, because of a medical condition that impacts the ability to travel, or because of other factors as the Secretary determines.

Cosponsors

Members who signed on, in the order they did.

No cosponsors are on file for this measure.

Committees 1

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

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseVeterans' Affairs Committee
Referred May 21, 2015Discharged May 21, 2015
Health Subcommittee
Referred Jun 30, 2015

Actions 14

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. May 22, 2015Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S3289-3290)
  2. May 22, 2015Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  3. May 22, 2015Presented to President.
  4. May 22, 2015Signed by President.
  5. May 22, 2015Became Public Law No: 114-19.
  6. May 21, 2015Introduced in House
  7. May 21, 2015Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  8. May 21, 2015Mr. Coffman asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider. (consideration: CR H3546)
  9. May 21, 2015Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged.(consideration: CR H3546)
  10. May 21, 2015Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged. (consideration: CR H3546)
  11. May 21, 2015Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H3546-3547)
  12. May 21, 2015Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed without objection. (text: CR H3547)
  13. May 21, 2015Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  14. May 21, 2015Received in the Senate, read twice.

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
SenateDebate and remarks S3289, S3290Cory Gardner R-CO, Michael F. Bennet D-COMay 22, 2015
HouseDebate and remarks H3546, H3547Text printed H3547Ed Perlmutter D-CO, Mike Coffman R-COMay 21, 2015

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.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, section 8, clause 18 (the necessary and proper clause).

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 79, May 21, 2015, page H3562.

Printed hearings 2

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

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
S. Hrg. 114-201PENDING HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION78 pagesVeterans' Affairs CommitteeJun 3, 2015
S. Hrg. 114-270THE VETERANS CHOICE ACT -- EXPLORING THE DISTANCE CRITERIA88 pagesVeterans' Affairs CommitteeMar 24, 2015

CRS reports 7

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

Cite it 7

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

Titles 5

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

Official Title as Introduced
To extend the authorization for the replacement of the existing Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, to make certain improvements in the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act
Short Titles as Passed House
Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act
Short Titles as Passed Senate
Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act
Short Titles as Enacted
Construction Authorization and Choice Improvement Act

Subjects

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

Text 3

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. —Enrolled Bill
  2. May 21, 2015Received in Senate
  3. May 21, 2015Engrossed 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.