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VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017

Public Law 115-46 · S. 114 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Aug 12, 2017 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)

Cosponsors (3): Sen. Bob Casey,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 414 yea, 0 nay414–0
  • 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.

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Summary

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

VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017

TITLE I--APPROPRIATION OF AMOUNTS FOR VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM

(Sec. 101) This bill provides funding for the Veterans Choice Program.

TITLE II--PERSONNEL MATTERS

(Sec. 201) The annual determination of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) staff shortages shall include shortages for a minimum of five clinical and five nonclinical occupations for each network. (Such determination currently includes the five occupations for which there are the largest Department of Veterans Affairs [VA]-wide shortages.)

(Sec. 202) The bill establishes in the VA an executive management fellowship program to provide Veterans Benefits Administration and VHA employees with training and experience in the private sector and private sector employees training and experience in the VA. Employees shall be selected in a manner that reflects veteran demographics and provides a preference for rural employees.

(Sec. 203) The VA shall conduct an annual performance plan for each political appointee that is similar to the plan conducted for VA career senior executive employees.

(Sec. 204) The VA may noncompetitively appoint a qualified former employee to any VA position within the competitive service that is one grade or equivalent higher than the person's most recent position.

(Sec. 205) The VA shall establish a promotional track system for employees who are technical experts to advance without being required to transition to management positions.

(Sec. 206) The VA shall prescribe regulations to allow for excepted service appointments of qualifying students and recent graduates leading to career employment.

(Sec. 207) The VA shall establish a program to encourage service members with a military health care specialty to seek postmilitary employment with the VHA.

(Sec. 208) The VA shall establish a single database that lists each vacant VA position that is: (1) critical, difficult to fill, or both; or (2) for a mental health professional. A qualified applicant for a position in the database who is not selected may elect to be considered by the VA for similar positions in the database.

(Sec. 209) The VA shall provide VHA human resources professionals with recruitment and retention training.

(Sec. 210) The VA shall develop and implement a plan to hire qualified directors for VA medical centers without a permanent director.

(Sec. 211) The VA shall develop a standardized exit survey for employees and executives who voluntarily separate from the VA.

(Sec. 212) Physician assistants are included in the list of VA health care personnel who must receive pay that is competitive with non-VA health care facilities.

(Sec. 213) The VA may appoint highly qualified candidates without regard to competitive service provisions if there is a severe shortage of highly qualified candidates.

(Sec. 214) The Government Accountability Office shall assess the VA's succession planning policies.

TITLE III--MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASES

(Sec. 301) The VA may carry out major medical facility leases in specified amounts at certain locations.

TITLE IV--OTHER MATTERS

(Sec. 401) The bill extends through FY2027: (1) the $90 monthly limit on a VA pension paid to veterans residing in nursing homes when their nursing costs are paid through title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act; (2) VA authority to collect certain fees at current levels for housing loans made, insured, or guaranteed by the VA; and (3) VA authority to obtain veterans' income verification information from the Social Security Administration or the Department of the Treasury.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 414 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

414 yea0 nay19 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(186)

Republicans who voted yea(228)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 437 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

8 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 90Related bill

    Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act of 2017

  • H.R. 1690Related bill

    Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act

  • H.Res. 480Procedurally-related

    Providing for consideration of the bill (S. 114) to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report regarding performance awards and bonuses awarded to certain…

  • S. 233Related bill

    Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act of 2017

  • S. 1550Related bill

    Department of Veterans Affairs Quality Employment Act of 2017

  • S. 2193Related bill

    Caring for our Veterans Act of 2017

  • S. 2807Identical bill

    Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act

  • S. 2906Related bill

    VA MISSION Act of 2018

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. 31 actions.

  1. Aug 12, 2017Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. Aug 7, 2017FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  3. Aug 2, 2017FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  4. Aug 1, 2017Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments to the Senate bill by Voice Vote.
  5. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendments to the Senate bill by Voice Vote.
  6. Jul 31, 2017FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
  7. Jul 28, 2017FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 414 - 0 (Roll no. 438).House roll call 438
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. FloorFloor · POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on S. 114, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote, announced that the aye had prevailed. Mr. Roe(TN) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of passage…
  12. FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  13. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on S. 114.
  14. FloorFloor · Rule provides for consideration of S. 114 with 1 hour of general debate. Motion to recommit with or without instructions allowed. The resolution provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the Rules Committee report shall be considered as adopted and the…
  15. FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 480.
  16. FloorFloor · Rule H. Res. 480 passed House.
  17. Jul 27, 2017FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 480 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S. 114 with 1 hour of general debate. Motion to recommit with or without instructions allowed. The resolution provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the Rul…
  18. Jul 24, 2017FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 219 - 186 (Roll no. 408).House roll call 408
  19. FloorFloor · Failed of passage/not agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 219 - 186 (Roll no. 408).House roll call 408
  20. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  21. 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.
  22. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 114.
  23. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  24. FloorFloor · Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  25. May 26, 2017FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  26. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  27. May 25, 2017FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  28. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  29. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  30. Jan 12, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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.

  • H.Amdt. 270HouseRules Committee· offered Jul 28, 2017No vote recorded

    Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 480 the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the Rules Committee report is considered as adopted.

    Jul 28, 2017: House amendment offered

    Offered, no vote recorded
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.