Veterans' Administration Health-Care Programs Improvement and Extension Act of 1982
Public Law 97-251 · H.R. 6350 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 8, 1982 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Sonny Montgomery (D-MS-3)
Cosponsors (31): Rep. John Hammerschmidt, Rep. Don Edwards,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(House agreed to Senate amendments with amendments)
Veterans' Administration Health-Care Programs Improvement and Extension Act of 1982 - Authorizes the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to provide that: (1) nurses employed at a Veterans Administration (VA) facility who work two regularly scheduled 12-hour tours of duty within a weekend shall be considered to have worked a full workweek and be paid as specified; or (2) such nurses who work on a tour of duty any part of which falls on a weekend may be paid additional pay.
Requires the Administrator to publish regulations as specified.
Permits the participation of VA employees as part-time students in the Veterans Administration Health Professional Scholarship Program. Reduces the obligation and stipend payable to such a student. Denies a stipend to full-time VA employees. Increases the time for which such a scholarship may be awarded.
Extends from September 30, 1982, to September 30, 1983, the authority of the Administrator to contract for hospital care or medical services in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands without reference to patient loads or incidence of provision of medical services for veterans treated by the VA in the contiguous 48 States.
Entitles to reinstatement in the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) any spouse, surviving spouse, or child who loses CHAMPUS eligibility by becoming entitled to hospital insurance benefits under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, but then exhausts some or all of such medicare benefits.
Extends the pilot program for the treatment and rehabilitation for alcohol or drug dependency or abuse disabilities through FY 1983.
Includes all veterans cared for in State homes in the payment procedures formulated for the care of war veterans. Extends through FY 1986 the program of matching grants for construction or alteration of State veterans' homes.
Authorizes the Administrator to exchange medical information and techniques with State home facilities furnishing care to veterans.
Directs the Administrator to report to Congress on the use of flexible and compressed work schedules.
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. 10 actions.
- Sep 8, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-251.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 27, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 20, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the amendments of the House to the amendments of the Senate. By Voice Vote.
- Aug 19, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 21, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 2385 with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 15, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 390 - 0 (Record Vote No: 144).House roll call 144
- May 17, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
- May 11, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Veterans' Affairs 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.