VET Act
Latest action · Jun 22, 2016 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.
- IntroducedNov 5, 2015
- Passed HouseJun 21, 2016
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Veteran Engagement Teams Act or the VET Act
(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), beginning not later than October 1, 2016, to carry out a three-year pilot program under which the VA shall carry out Veteran Engagement Team events to assist veterans in completing VA disability and pension claims.
Such events shall be carried out:
- during the first year, at least once a month within the jurisdiction of each of 10 VA regional offices, including at least 2 regional offices in each of the 5 districts of the Veterans Benefits Administration;
- during each of the second and third years, at least once a month within the jurisdiction of each of 15 VA regional offices, including at least 3 regional offices in each district;
- at different locations within each regional office's jurisdiction and at least 50 miles from any regional office;
- during the sponsoring regional office's normal business hours; and
- with a sufficient number of physicians (to be available for opinions only), veteran service and rating representatives, and other appropriate claims personnel to initiate, update, and finalize the completion and adjudication of claims.
Amounts shall be paid to a VA employee for event work only from amounts otherwise available for the employee's salary. No additional appropriations are authorized for such payments.
The VA shall: (1) collect and analyze event-satisfaction information from attending veterans, and (2) report annually to Congress on event implementation.
The VA may not permanently transfer any Veterans Health Administration physician to staff an event.
(Sec. 3) The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 is amended to reduce the aggregate amount of awards and bonuses that may be paid by the VA in FY2017.
Cosponsors 6
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Nov 5, 2015 to Jun 21, 2016; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-PA | Michael G. Fitzpatrick | Original | Nov 5, 2015 |
| R-FL | Carlos Curbelo | Jan 7, 2016 | |
| R-OK | Tom Cole | Feb 1, 2016 | |
| R-IN | Jackie Walorski | Feb 2, 2016 | |
| R-AS | Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen | Apr 11, 2016 | |
| D-WA | Derek Kilmer | Jun 21, 2016 |
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 Nov 5, 2015 |
| Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee | Referred Dec 3, 2015Hearings Apr 13, 2016Markup May 11, 2016Reported May 11, 2016 | |
| Senate | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Jun 22, 2016 |
Actions 12
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 22, 2016Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Jun 21, 2016Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jun 21, 2016Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4010-4012)
- Jun 21, 2016DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3936.
- Jun 21, 2016Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4010)
- Jun 21, 2016Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- May 11, 2016Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 11, 2016Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
- Apr 13, 2016Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- Dec 3, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
- Nov 5, 2015Introduced in House
- Nov 5, 2015Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In the Congressional Record 1
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 | Debate and remarks H4010–H4012Text printed H4010 | Corrine Brown D-FL, David P. Roe R-TN, Ryan A. Costello R-PA | Jun 21, 2016 |
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
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 165, November 5, 2015, page H8153.
Printed hearings 3
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. 114-65 | A CONTINUED ASSESSMENT OF DELAYS IN VETERANS' ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE76 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Apr 19, 2016 |
| Serial No. 114-62 | LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON: H.R. 3936, H.R. 4087, H.R. 4757, H.R. 4758, H.R. 4759, H.R. 4782, H.R. 3715; A DRAFT BILL ENTITLED "MEDAL OF HONOR LEGACY ACT"; A DRAFT BILL ENTITLED "LOVE LIVES ON ACT OF 2016"; A DRAFT BILL ENTITLED "TO AMEND TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE, TO IMPROVE THE CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE BY BOARD OF VETERANS' APPEALS"; AND, A DRAFT BILL ENTITLED "TO AMEND TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE, TO PAY SPECIAL COMPENSATION TO CERTAIN VETERANS WITH THE LOSS OR LOSS OF USE OF CREATIVE ORGANS"64 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Apr 13, 2016 |
| S. Hrg. 114-541 | THE MULTIEMPLOYER PENSION PLAN SYSTEM: RECENT REFORMS AND CURRENT CHALLENGES117 pages | Finance Committee | Mar 1, 2016 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 4782 | Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2016 | Related bill | Sep 12, 2016 |
Titles 5
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary carries out Veteran Engagement Team events where veterans can complete claims for disability compensation and pension under the laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- VET Act
- Veteran Engagement Teams Act
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Veteran Engagement Teams Act
- VET 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.
- Jun 22, 2016Referred in Senate
- Jun 21, 2016Engrossed in House
- Nov 5, 2015Introduced 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.
