Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting Preference Consistency Act of 2020
Public Law 116-155 · H.R. 4920 · 116th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Aug 8, 2020 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-41)
Cosponsors (18): Rep. Phil Roe, Rep. Grace Meng,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting Preference Consistency Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to give preference to nonprofit firms that employ the blind and significantly disabled when contracting for covered products and services that are included on the procurement list maintained by the U.S. AbilityOne Commission. The commission provides employment opportunities for people who are blind or have significant disabilities.
The bill provides an exemption in certain situations for covered products or services for which contracts were awarded after December 22, 2006, and were in effect on the day before the enactment date of this bill.
A covered product or service is one that was included on the commission's procurement list on or before December 22, 2006, or a product or service that (1) is a replacement for a product or service on the commission's procurement list, (2) is essentially the same and meets the same requirements as the product or service being replaced, and (3) meets the VA's quality standards and delivery schedule.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Veterans' Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred toSubcommittee: Oversight and Investigations 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
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 785 · became Public Law 116-171Related bill
Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019
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. 23 actions.
- Aug 8, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-155.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 28, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jul 20, 2020Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Takano asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill, H.R. 4920, and agree to the Senate amendment.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Mar 16, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Mar 12, 2020FloorFloor · 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.
- Dec 17, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Dec 16, 2019FloorFloor · 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 H.R. 4920.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Dec 5, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Discharged.
- Nov 8, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
- Oct 30, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
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. 1555SenateSen. Jon TesterD-MT· offered Mar 12, 2020Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Mar 12, 2020: Amendment SA 1555 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.