SAVE LIVES Act
Latest action · Jun 16, 2021 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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.
- IntroducedFeb 24, 2021
- Passed HouseMar 9, 2021
- Passed SenateMar 17, 2021
- To the PresidentMar 23, 2021
- Became lawMar 24, 2021Public Law 117-4
Summary
Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act or the SAVE LIVES Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine to covered individuals during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Under the bill, covered individuals are
- veterans who are not eligible to enroll in the VA health care system;
- specified veterans who are eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care abroad;
- beneficiaries who are eligible for care due to a specified disability or death of a veteran;
- family caregivers of veterans who are participating in the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers;
- caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Program of General Caregiver Support Services;
- caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Medical Foster Home Program, Bowel and Bladder Program, Home Based Primary Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Program; and
- the spouses of veterans.
The VA must prioritize the vaccination of (1) veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) veterans who fail to enroll but receive hospital care and medical services for specified disabilities in their first 12 months of separation from service, and (3) caregivers accompanying such prioritized veterans.
Under the bill, the VA is authorized to determine the timing for offering a vaccine to the spouse of a veteran.
Cosponsors 54
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 24, 2021 to Mar 9, 2021; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-IL | Mike Bost | Original | Feb 24, 2021 |
| D-MD | Anthony G. Brown | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| R-AS | Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| R-AL | Barry Moore | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| R-TX | Chip Roy | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| D-NH | Chris Pappas | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| D-TX | Colin Z. Allred | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| D-PA | Conor Lamb | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| D-FL | Debbie Wasserman Schultz | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| D-MI | Elissa Slotkin | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| D-MP | Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| R-NC | Gregory F. Murphy | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| R-MI | Jack Bergman | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| D-CT | Jahana Hayes | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| R-IN | Jim Banks | Feb 25, 2021 |
Committees 1
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 Feb 24, 2021Discharged Mar 10, 2021 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Jun 16, 2021 |
Actions 18
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 16, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Mar 24, 2021Signed by President.
- Mar 24, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-4.
- Mar 23, 2021Presented to President.
- Mar 19, 2021Mr. Takano asked unanimous consent to take the bill, H.R. 1276, from the Speaker's Table and agree to the Senate amendment. (consideration: CR H1603)
- Mar 19, 2021Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection. (text: CR H1603)
- Mar 19, 2021Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Mar 18, 2021Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Mar 17, 2021Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S1620)
- Mar 17, 2021Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S1620)
- Mar 10, 2021Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Mar 9, 2021Mr. Takano asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- Mar 9, 2021Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged.
- Mar 9, 2021Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H1178; text: CR H1178)
- Mar 9, 2021Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed without objection.
- Mar 9, 2021Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Feb 24, 2021Introduced in House
- Feb 24, 2021Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In the Congressional Record 6
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 H6257 | Mark Takano D-CA | Nov 15, 2021 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1603Amendments H1603 | Mark Takano D-CA | Mar 19, 2021 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S1620Text printed S1620Amendments S1619, S1620 | Alex Padilla D-CA, Jerry Moran R-KS (amendment), Jon Tester D-MT (amendment) | Mar 17, 2021 |
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E236 | Jefferson Van Drew D-NJ | Mar 11, 2021 |
| House | Debate and remarks H1178Text printed H1178Amendments H1178 | Mark Takano D-CA (amendment) | Mar 9, 2021 |
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. 167, no. 35, February 24, 2021, page H617.
CRS reports 14
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 14
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47520 | The Voting Rights Act: Historical Development and Policy Background | Report | Jun 3, 2026 |
| R45951 | Apportionment and Redistricting Process for the U.S. House of Representatives | Report | May 20, 2026 |
| R46949 | The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA): Overview and Ongoing Role in Election Administration Policy | Report | Mar 20, 2026 |
| R41542 | The State of Campaign Finance Policy: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress | Report | Jul 29, 2025 |
| R45104 | Guide to Committee Activity Reports: Purpose, Rules, and Contents | Report | Jun 2, 2025 |
Amendments 2
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAmdt 27 | An amendment to strike all after section 1 and insert completely new text. | Mark Takano D-CA | On agreeing to the Takano amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection. |
| SA 1400 | In the nature of a substitute. | Jon Tester D-MT | Amendment SA 1400 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 682 | SAVE LIVES Act | Related bill | Mar 10, 2021 |
Titles 15
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish COVID-19 vaccines to certain individuals, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- SAVE LIVES Act
- Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act
- SAVE LIVES Act
- Other Short Titles
- Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act
- SAVE LIVES Act
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans’ and Caregivers’ COVID–19 Immunizations Now Expanded Act of 2021
- VA VACCINE Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans’ and Caregivers’ COVID–19 Immunizations Now Expanded Act of 2021
- VA VACCINE Act of 2021
- Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text
- Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act
- SAVE LIVES Act
- Short Title(s) from Engrossed Amendment Senate bill text
- Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act
- SAVE LIVES Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Mar 17, 2021Engrossed Amendment Senate
- Mar 10, 2021Received in Senate
- Mar 9, 2021Engrossed in House
- Feb 24, 2021Introduced 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.
