Veterans Health Care Act of 2005
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Health.
Veterans Health Care Act of 2005 - (Sec. 2) Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide up to 14 days of care following birth for the newborn child of a woman veteran receiving maternity care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs if the child was delivered in a Department facility or a Department-contracted facility.
(Sec. 3) Provides that, if payment made by the Secretary for health care furnished to children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida or to children of women Vietnam veterans born with certain birth defects, is less than the amount billed, then the health care provider may seek payment of the difference from a responsible third party insurer. Prohibits the provider from imposing any additional charge on the beneficiary for any service or item for which the Secretary has made payment.
(Sec. 4) Makes permanent (currently, terminates at the end of 2005) the authority of the Secretary to make grants for furnishing certain services to homeless veterans. Makes permanent (currently, terminates at the end of FY2005) the comprehensive services program for homeless veterans. Increases and extends through FY2011 the homeless veteran service provider technical assistance program.
(Sec. 5) Includes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors within authorized Department mental health providers. Outlines professional requirements for such positions. Requires a report from the Department's Under Secretary for Health to the congressional veterans' committees on the provision of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment by marriage and family therapists.
(Sec. 6) Provides a Senior Executive Service pay level adjustment for the Chief Nursing Officer, Office of Nursing Services.
(Sec. 7)Authorizes the Secretary to conduct studies comparing costs of private contractor versus Department provision of commercial and industrial products and services for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Authorizes appropriations. Requires a report from the Secretary to the veterans' committees.
(Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary, within the Department, to: (1) expand the number of clinical treatment teams principally dedicated to the treatment of PTSD; (2) expand and improve substance abuse services; (3) expand and improve tele-health initiatives; (4) improve education programs for primary care delivery professionals; (5) expand the delivery of mental health services in community-based outpatient clinics; and (6) expand and improve Mental Health Intensive Case Management Teams. Authorizes appropriations. Requires the Under Secretary for Health to take appropriate steps and provide necessary incentives to: (1) prioritize the provision of mental health services to veterans in need; (2) foster collaborative working environments for the provision of such services; and (3) conduct mental health consultations during primary care appointments.
The summary continues for 15 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed Senate amended" stage on December 22, 2005. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on January 19, 2006: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 109th Congress (2005-06), 482 of the 10,701 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.5 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
LARRY CRAIG (R-ID) introduced it on June 7, 2005. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on June 7, 2005, 7765 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7539 days ago, on January 19, 2006.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 109th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2007 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers