Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2015
Public Law 114-63 · S. 139 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Oct 7, 2015 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Cosponsors (15): Sen. Orrin Hatch, Sen. Ed Markey,
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.
This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate-passed version is repeated here.)
Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Improving Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2009 to repeal the sunset of, and so extend indefinitely, the exclusion from resources under titles XVI (Supplemental Security Income) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, for eligibility purposes, of compensation in the amount of the first $2,000 per year received by individuals who participate in clinical trials for rare diseases or conditions.
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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 209Identical bill
Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials 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. 17 actions.
- Oct 7, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-63.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 30, 2015FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 28, 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. 139.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Ryan (WI) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 24, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Jul 21, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Jul 20, 2015FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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.
- Jul 17, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 16, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jan 8, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S105; text of measure as introduced: CR S105)
- 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.