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Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016

Public Law 114-228 · H.R. 5985 · 114th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Sep 29, 2016 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL-1)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateRecorded vote: 89 yea, 0 nay89–0
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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016

This bill extends specified Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs.

TITLE I--EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORITY RELATING TO HEALTH CARE

(Sec. 101) Authority for collection of copayments for hospital care and nursing home care is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 102) The requirement to provide nursing home care to certain veterans with service-connected disabilities is extended through December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 103) The authorization of appropriations for assistance and support services for caregivers is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 104) Authority for recovery from third parties of the cost of care and services furnished to veterans with health-plan contracts for non-service-connected disability is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 105) The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 is amended to extend through December 31, 2017, authority for the pilot program on assistance for child care for certain veterans receiving health care.

The authorization of appropriations for such program is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 106) Authority to make grants to veterans service organizations for transportation of highly rural veterans is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 107) Authority for the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated from service is extended through December 31, 2017. The authorization of appropriations for such program is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 108) The reporting date for the pilot program on the use of community organizations and state and local entities to ensure that veterans receive eligible benefits is changed from 180 days after the program's completion to September 30, 2017.

TITLE II--EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORITY RELATING TO BENEFITS

(Sec. 201) Authority for the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education is extended through December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 202) Specified housing loan provisions and definitions, including the calculation of the net value of real property at the time of foreclosure, are extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 203) Authority relating to vendee loans is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 204) Authority for rehabilitation and vocational benefits at VA facilities for members of the Armed Forces with severe injuries or illnesses is extended through December 31, 2017.

TITLE III--EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORITY RELATING TO HOMELESS VETERANS

(Sec. 301) Authority for homeless veterans reintegration programs is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 302) Authority for the homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children reintegration program is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 303) Authority for referral and counseling services for veterans at risk of homelessness who are transitioning from penal institutions or institutions that provide long-term mental health care is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 304) Authority for housing assistance for homeless veterans is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 305) Authority for financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 306) Authority for the grant program for homeless veterans with special needs is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 307) Authority for the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans is extended through December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 308) Authority for treatment and rehabilitation services for seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans, including a program to provide homeless veterans with benefits and services at certain locations, is extended through FY2017.

TITLE IV--OTHER EXTENSIONS AND MODIFICATIONS OF AUTHORITY AND OTHER MATTERS

(Sec. 401) Authority for transportation of individuals to and from VA facilities for vocational rehabilitation, counseling, treatment, or care is extended through December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 402) Authority for operation of the VA regional office in Manila, the Republic of the Philippines, is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 403) Authority for monthly assistance allowances under the Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events is extended through FY 2017.

(Sec. 404) The requirement to provide annual reports to Congress regarding equitable relief in the case of administrative error is extended through December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 405) The authorization for appropriations for adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces is extended through FY2017. The VA may only provide such assistance for adaptive sports opportunities during FY2010-FY2017.

(Sec. 406) Authority for the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans is extended through December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 407) The authorization of appropriations for homeless veterans' comprehensive services is increased.

(Sec. 408) Authority for temporary eligibility expansion for specially adapted housing assistance for certain veterans with disabilities causing difficulty ambulating is extended through FY2017.

The VA may not approve more than 30 assistance applications in each of FY2014-FY2017.

(Sec. 409) Authority for specially adapted housing assistive technology grants is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 410) The VA may not guarantee the payment of principal and interest on certain mortgage loan pool certificates or other securities issued or approved after December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 411) Authority to enter into agreement with the National Academy of Sciences regarding associations between diseases and exposure to dioxin and other chemical compounds in herbicides is extended through December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 412) Authority for performance of medical disabilities examinations by contract physicians is extended through December 31, 2017.

(Sec. 413) The current multipliers used in calculating the fees the VA may pay to educational institutions and apprenticeship providers for reports regarding each eligible individual's enrollment in veterans' education or training programs and the interruption or termination of their participation in such programs is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 414) The requirement for an annual report on the Department of Defense-VA Interagency Program Office is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 415) In the case of an education course subject to disapproval because the Department of Education has withdrawn recognition of the accrediting agency, the VA may continue to treat the course as an approved course for up to 18 months unless the VA or the state approving agency determines that there is evidence to support such disapproval.

The VA must notify any veteran enrolled in such course about its status.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 114th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 89 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

89 yea0 nay11 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(41)

Republicans who voted yea(48)

Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 482 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

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.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3596Related bill

    Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2015

  • S. 2082 · became Public Law 114-58Related bill

    Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2015

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.

  1. Oct 19, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
  2. Sep 29, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-228.
  3. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  4. Sep 21, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  5. Sep 20, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  6. Sep 19, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 89 - 0. Record Vote Number: 143.Senate roll call 143
  7. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  8. Sep 14, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  9. Sep 13, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  10. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  11. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5985.
  12. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  13. FloorFloor · Mr. Miller (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  14. Sep 9, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee conc…
  15. 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.

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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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.