Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2017
Latest action · Nov 9, 2017 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.
- IntroducedSep 7, 2017
- Passed HouseNov 8, 2017
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on November 7, 2017. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2017
(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to collaborate with veterans service organizations to write a standard letter to be provided to individuals who owe debts to the VA. Such letter shall be written in plain language and shall include a notice of the debt and a clear explanation of: (1) why the individual owes such money, and (2) available options.
The VA shall develop a method by which individuals may elect to receive debt notification letters by electronic means and shall ensure that the letter is delivered: (1) by both standard mail and electronic means to individuals who have made such election, and (2) only by standard mail to individuals who have not made such election.
The VA shall: (1) notify Congress regarding the completion of such letter, and (2) study and report to Congress on the process by which it notifies veterans of debt collection efforts.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 621 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed422–0 | Nov 8, 2017 |
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Nov 1, 2017 to Nov 6, 2017.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NH | Ann M. Kuster | Nov 1, 2017 | |
| R-IA | David Young | Nov 6, 2017 |
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 Sep 7, 2017Markup Nov 2, 2017Reported Nov 7, 2017 |
| Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee | Referred Sep 7, 2017 | |
| Senate | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Nov 9, 2017 |
Actions 15
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Nov 9, 2017Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Nov 8, 2017Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H8643)
- Nov 8, 2017Passed/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): 422 - 0 (Roll no. 621). (text: 11/7/2017 CR H8561)
- Nov 8, 2017Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Nov 7, 2017Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-397.
- Nov 7, 2017Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 293.
- Nov 7, 2017Mr. Bilirakis moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Nov 7, 2017Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8561-8562)
- Nov 7, 2017DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3705.
- Nov 7, 2017At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- Nov 2, 2017Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Nov 2, 2017Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Sep 7, 2017Introduced in House
- Sep 7, 2017Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Sep 7, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
In the Congressional Record 3
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 E1565 | Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. D-GA | Nov 14, 2017 |
| House | Recorded votes H8643enact | — | Nov 8, 2017 |
| House | Debate and remarks H8561, H8562Text printed H8561 | Chellie Pingree D-ME, Gus M. Bilirakis R-FL, Timothy J. Walz D-MN | Nov 7, 2017 |
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 estimate
- Nov 6, 2017H.R. 3705, Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2017As ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on November 2, 2017
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 163, no. 144, September 7, 2017, page H7182.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 115-387 | THE STATE OF VA SERVICES IN OHIO71 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Nov 21, 2017 |
| Serial No. 115-36 | EXAMINING HOW VBA CAN EFFECTIVELY PREVENT AND MANAGE OVERPAYMENTS44 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Oct 25, 2017 |
| Serial No. 115-29 | H.R. 1721; H.R. 1900; H.R. 3122; H.R. 3656; H.R. 3657; AND, A DRAFT BILL ENTITLED "VETERANS FAIR DEBT NOTICE ACT OF 2017"57 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Sep 13, 2017 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2884 | Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2018 | Related bill | May 17, 2018 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to require the use of certified mail and plain language in certain debt collection activities.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2017
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2017
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2017
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Nov 9, 2017Referred in Senate
- Nov 8, 2017Engrossed in House
- Nov 7, 2017Reported in House
- Sep 7, 2017Introduced 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.
