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Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2015

Public Law 114-58 · S. 2082 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Sep 30, 2015 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 423 yea, 0 nay423–0
  • 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.

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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 2015

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 FY2016.

(Sec. 102) The requirement to provide nursing home care to certain veterans with service-connected disabilities is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 103) The authorization of appropriations for assistance and support services for caregivers is extended through FY2016.

(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 FY2016.

(Sec. 105) Authority for the pilot program on assistance for child care for certain veterans receiving health care is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 106) Authority to make grants to veterans service organizations for transportation of highly rural veterans is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 107) Authority for the Department of Defense (DOD)-VA Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 108) Authority for the Joint DOD-VA Demonstration Fund is extended through FY2017.

(Sec. 109) Authority for the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated from service is extended through December 31, 2016.

TITLE II--EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORITY RELATING TO BENEFITS

(Sec. 201) Authority for the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 202) Specified housing loan provisions and definitions, including the calculation of net value of real property at time of foreclosure, are extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 203) Authority relating to vendee loans is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 204) Authority for rehabilitation and vocational benefits at VA facilities to members of the Armed Forces with severe injuries or illnesses is extended through December 31, 2016.

TITLE III--EXTENSIONS OF AUTHORITY RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS

(Sec. 301) Authority for homeless veterans reintegration programs is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 302) Authority for the homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children reintegration program is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 303) Authority for housing assistance for homeless veterans is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 304) Authority for financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 305) Authority for the grant program for homeless veterans with special needs is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 306) Authority for the Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 307) 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 FY2016.

(Sec. 308) Authority for referral and counseling services for certain veterans at risk of homelessness is extended through FY2016.

TITLE IV--OTHER EXTENSIONS AND MODIFICATIONS OF AUTHORITY

(Sec. 401) Authority for transportation of individuals to and from VA facilities for vocational rehabilitation, counseling, treatment, or care is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 402) Authority for monthly assistance allowances under the Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 403) Authority for operation of the VA regional office in Manila, the Republic of the Philippines is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 404) The requirement to provide annual reports to Congress regarding equitable relief in the case of administrative error is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 405) The authorization for appropriations for adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 406) Authority for the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 407) Authority for temporary eligibility expansion for specially adapted housing assistance for certain veterans with disabilities causing difficulty ambulating is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 408) 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, 2016.

(Sec. 409) Authority for performance of medical disabilities examinations by contract physicians is extended through December 31, 2016.

(Sec. 410) 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 FY2016.

(Sec. 411) The requirement for an annual report on the DOD-VA Interagency Program Office is extended through FY2016.

(Sec. 412) Funding authority is modified to provide for constructing a new bed tower at the VA medical center in Tampa, Florida, in lieu of providing bed tower upgrades at such medical center.

(Sec. 413) The VA may carry out the following major medical facility projects (with each project not to exceed specified amounts):

• construction of a community living center, outpatient clinic, renovated domiciliary, and renovation of existing buildings in Canandaigua, New York;

• seismic corrections to the mental health and community living center in Long Beach, California;

• seismic correction of 12 buildings in West Los Angeles, California; and

• construction of a spinal cord injury building and seismic corrections in San Diego, California.

TITLE V--MATTERS RELATING TO MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECT IN DENVER

(Sec. 501) The amount authorized for the replacement of the existing VA Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, is increased.

It is the sense of Congress that the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2016 authorizes the VA to transfer discretionary unobligated balances appropriated for FY2015 and discretionary advance appropriations for FY2016 to fund such increase.

The VA may not transfer amounts from the Veterans Choice Fund to carry out this medical facility construction project.

(Sec. 502) The VA shall enter into an agreement with an appropriate non-VA federal entity to provide full project management services for any super construction project, including management over the project design, acquisition, construction, and contract changes. Such agreement shall require reimbursement to the federal entity for project management service costs.

TITLE VI--OTHER MATTERS

(Sec. 601) Various technical and clerical amendments are made.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 114th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 423 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

423 yea0 nay11 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(183)

Republicans who voted yea(240)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 524 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 record shows no committee referral for this bill.

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

5 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3596Related bill

    Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2015

  • H.R. 5985 · became Public Law 114-228Related bill

    Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016

  • S. 2048Related bill

    Keeping Our Commitment to Ending Veteran Homelessness Act of 2015

  • S. 3246Related bill

    A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend authority for operation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Manila, the Republic of the Philippines.

  • S. 3249Related bill

    Keeping Our Commitment to Ending Veteran Homelessness Act of 2016

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. 17 actions.

  1. Sep 30, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-58.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 423 - 0 (Roll no. 526).House roll call 526
  5. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2082.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Miller (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Sep 28, 2015FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. Sep 25, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  15. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  16. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate, read twice.
  17. 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.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 2700SenateSen. Mike LeeR-UT· offered Sep 25, 2015Agreed to

    To prohibit the transfer of amounts from the Veterans Choice Fund to fund the increase of the authorization to carry out the medical facility construction project of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Denver, Colorado.

    Sep 25, 2015: Amendment SA 2700 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
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.