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A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for other purposes.

Public Law 118-18 · S. 112 · 118th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Oct 6, 2023 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN)

Cosponsors (8): Sen. Maggie Hassan,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 422 yea, 0 nay422–0
  • 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.

This act addresses Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and care for certain children with spina bifida or other birth defects. The act requires the VA to provide health care, job training, and monetary benefits for the duration of the child's life. The act covers a child, regardless of age or marital status, who (1) has spina bifida and is the natural child of a Vietnam veteran or a veteran of specified service in Korea or Thailand who was conceived after the date on which the veteran entered service in Vietnam, Korea, or Thailand; or (2) has certain birth defects and is the natural child of a woman Vietnam veteran.

The act requires the VA to establish an advisory council on health care and benefits for covered children. Additionally, the VA must establish care and coordination teams for covered children. At least every 180 days, the teams must conduct outreach to ensure the continued care of the children and assist with any necessary changes in care.

The VA must report to Congress a list of conditions that will trigger outreach to covered children and must attempt to contact such children as soon as practicable after the identification of a condition.

The Veterans Benefits Administration and the Veterans Health Administration must enter into a memorandum of understanding to better assist covered children.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 118th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 422 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

422 yea0 nay11 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(208)

Republicans who voted yea(214)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 398 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

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3888Identical bill

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for other purposes.

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. 19 actions.

  1. Oct 6, 2023Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-18.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 4, 2023FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 19, 2023FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 422 - 0 (Roll no. 399).House roll call 399
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. Sep 18, 2023FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Bost objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 112.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Jul 18, 2023FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Jul 13, 2023FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  15. Jun 14, 2023CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 101.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Tester without amendment. Without written report.
  17. Feb 16, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  18. Jan 26, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  19. 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

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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.