To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes.
Public Law 111-137 · H.R. 1377 · 111th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Feb 1, 2010 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA-51)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Michael Michaud, Rep. Corrine Brown
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Revises provisions concerning the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse a veteran for the cost of emergency care provided in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility to provide that, if the veteran has contractual or legal recourse against a third party that would, in part, extinguish the veteran's liability to the provider of the emergency treatment and payment for the treatment may be made by both the VA and the third party, the amount payable by the VA shall be that which exceeds the cost payable by the third party. Prohibits the Secretary from reimbursing a veteran for any copayment or other charge owed to a third party under a health plan contract.
Authorizes the Secretary to reimburse a veteran for the cost of the emergency care described above which is provided before the enactment of this Act, if the Secretary determines that it is appropriate under the circumstances.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Veterans' Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Health Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 404Related bill
Veterans' Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.
- Feb 1, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-137.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 20, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 19, 2009FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 18, 2009FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Mar 31, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Mar 30, 2009FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1377.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mrs. Halvorson moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 26, 2009CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 22.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 111-55.
- Mar 25, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Mar 19, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Mar 13, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Mar 6, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.