Steve Gleason Act of 2015
Public Law 114-40 · S. 984 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jul 30, 2015 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
Cosponsors (6): Sen. Angus King, Sen. Lisa Murkowski,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Steve Gleason Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover as durable medical equipment any eye tracking and gaze interaction accessories for speech generating devices furnished to individuals with a demonstrated medical need for them.
(Sec. 3) Payment for speech generating devices or accessories shall be made on a rental basis, or in a lump-sum amount for the purchase of the item, without a cap on the amount in the case of devices furnished on or after October 1, 2015, and before October 1, 2018.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Health Subcommittee- Ways and Means 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
3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 628Related bill
Steve Gleason Act of 2015
H.R. 1919Identical bill
Steve Gleason Act of 2015
S. 768Related bill
Steve Gleason 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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.
- Jul 30, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-40.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 22, 2015FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jul 15, 2015FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 984.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Ryan (WI) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 154.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
- Jun 24, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 114-178, Part I.
- Jun 2, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Apr 27, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Apr 24, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Apr 22, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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 concerned.
- Apr 20, 2015CalendarCalendar · Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 59.
- Apr 16, 2015CalendarCalendar · Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure:CR S2284-2285)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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.