A bill to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes.
Latest action · Apr 19, 2017 Became Public Law No: 115-26.
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 7, 2017
- Passed SenateApr 3, 2017
- Passed HouseApr 5, 2017
- To the PresidentApr 7, 2017
- Became lawApr 19, 2017Public Law 115-26
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate passed version is repeated here.)
(Sec. 1) This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to eliminate the August 7, 2017, sunset date for the Veterans Choice Program, thus allowing the program to operate until all of the money in the Veterans Choice Fund is expended.
(Sec. 2) The bill makes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the primary payer (currently the VA is the secondary payer) for medical care relating to non-service connected disabilities and recovery of costs from third parties for certain care under the program.
(Sec. 3) The VA may share medical information with a non-VA entity (including private entities and other federal agencies) that provides veterans with authorized hospital care or medical services. Such entity may not redisclose or use such information for a purpose other than that for which the disclosure was made.
Cosponsors 21
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 7, 2017 to Apr 3, 2017; 9 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| D-ND | Heidi Heitkamp | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| R-KS | Jerry Moran | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| R-AR | John Boozman | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| R-AZ | John McCain | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| R-GA | Johnny Isakson | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| R-SD | Mike Rounds | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | Mar 7, 2017 |
| D-WV | Joe Manchin III | Mar 8, 2017 | |
| D-WI | Tammy Baldwin | Mar 9, 2017 | |
| D-FL | Bill Nelson | Mar 14, 2017 | |
| R-ID | Mike Crapo | Mar 14, 2017 | |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Mar 14, 2017 | |
| R-MT | Steve Daines | Mar 14, 2017 | |
| R-ND | John Hoeven | Mar 15, 2017 | |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Mar 15, 2017 | |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Mar 21, 2017 | |
| D-MI | Gary C. Peters | Mar 21, 2017 | |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Mar 28, 2017 | |
| I-ME | Angus S. King Jr. | Apr 3, 2017 |
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 7, 2017Discharged Apr 3, 2017 |
Actions 16
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 19, 2017Signed by President.
- Apr 19, 2017Became Public Law No: 115-26.
- Apr 7, 2017Presented to President.
- Apr 5, 2017Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Apr 5, 2017Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2722-2726)
In the Congressional Record 4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4791 | Jon Tester D-MT | Aug 3, 2017 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2722–H2726Text printed H2722 | Ann M. Kuster D-NH, Beto O'Rourke D-TX, David P. Roe R-TN, Gus M. Bilirakis R-FL, J. Luis Correa D-CA, Julia Brownley D-CA, Leonard Lance R-NJ, Mark Takano D-CA, Mike Coffman R-CO, Ruben J. Kihuen D-NV, Ryan A. Costello R-PA, Timothy J. Walz D-MN | Apr 5, 2017 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2163, S2164Text printed S2163 | Jerry Moran R-KS, John McCain R-AZ, Jon Tester D-MT | Apr 3, 2017 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S2139–S2143 | Brian Schatz D-HI, Jerry Moran R-KS, Jon Tester D-MT | Mar 30, 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.
CRS reports 9
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 9
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL34619 | Use of the Capitol Rotunda, Capitol Grounds, and Emancipation Hall: Concurrent Resolutions, 101st to 119th Congresses | Report | Feb 6, 2026 |
| R45992 | The Emoluments Clauses and the Presidency: Background and Recent Developments Archived | Report | Nov 5, 2019 |
| IN10950 | Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) FY2019 Appropriations and Financial Regulatory Reform Archived | Insight | Nov 27, 2018 |
| R45390 | VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 (VA MISSION Act; P.L.115-182) | Report | Nov 1, 2018 |
| R44562 | The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation | Report | Sep 19, 2018 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 86 | Veterans Choice Continuation Act | Related bill | Jan 10, 2017 |
| HR 369 | To eliminate the sunset of the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes. | Related bill | Mar 29, 2017 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title
- An act to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Apr 3, 2017Engrossed in Senate
- Mar 7, 2017Introduced 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.
