State Veterans Home Adult Day Health Care Improvement Act of 2017
Public Law 115-159 · S. 324 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Mar 27, 2018 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Cosponsors (36): Sen. Mazie Hirono, Sen. John Boozman,
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.
(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into an agreement with each state home to pay for medical supervision model adult day health care for a veteran for whom the home is not receiving VA nursing home care payments. Such payment shall constitute payment in full for such care.
The veteran must need such care either specifically for a service-connected disability, or, if not specifically for one, the veteran must have a service-connected disability rated 70% or more.
The payment rate under each VA-state home agreement for a veteran shall be established through regulations prescribed by the VA to adequately reimburse the home for the care, including necessary transportation expenses. Such rate shall not take effect until 30 days after the date on which the regulations are published in the Federal Register. Until such time, the initial rate shall equal 65% of the payment that the VA would otherwise pay to the state home if the veteran were receiving nursing home care.
"Medical supervision model adult day health care" means adult day health care that includes the coordination of physician services, dental services, nursing services, the administration of drugs, and such other requirements as the VA may determine.
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. 1005Related bill
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of adult day health care services for veterans.
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. 18 actions.
- Mar 27, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-159.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 19, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Mar 13, 2018FloorFloor · 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. 324.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Nov 13, 2017FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 9, 2017FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- May 17, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-299.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Feb 7, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 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
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 1581SenateSen. Orrin HatchR-UT· offered Nov 9, 2017Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Nov 9, 2017: Amendment SA 1581 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
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.