A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide that any person eligible for medical care under Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) who is a veteran with a service-connected disability may not be denied care and treatment for such disability under CHAMPUS solely because such person is eligible for care and treatment for such disability in Veterans' Administration facilities.
Public Law 96-173 · H.R. 5025 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 29, 1979 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. William Nichols (D-AL-3)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Stipulates that no veteran shall be denied medical care under CHAMPUS (Civilian Health and Medical Plan of the Uniformed Services) for any service-connected disability solely because care for such disability is available at Veterans' Administration medical facilities.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Dec 29, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 96-173.
- Dec 24, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Dec 21, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 20, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate (Included similar provisions of S. 523).
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Armed Services Committee
- Oct 16, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services Committee
- Oct 15, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Sep 24, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
- Jul 31, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.