PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

S. 658: Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009

Before you vote › Federal bills

S. 658: Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009

111th Congress · introduced 2009-03-19 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-76.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2009-03-19 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-76. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009

Plain summary

Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay travel expenses for veterans receiving treatment at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities at the rate of 41.5 cents per mile. (Under current law the rate is that provided to federal employees in connection with the performance of official duties.) Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish and operate at least one and up to five centers of excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical activities; (2) establish a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas; (3) carry out demonstration projects to examine alternatives for expanding care for veterans in rural areas; (4) establish a program to provide peer support, readjustment, and mental health services to veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (and related services to their family members); (5) assign an Indian Veterans Health Care Coordinator for each of the ten VA facilities that serve communities with the greatest per capita number of Indian veterans; (6) report to Congress jointly with the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the advisability of the joint establishment and operation by the VA's Veterans Health Administration and the Indian Health Service of health clinics to serve populations of Indian reservations, including Indian veterans; and (7) report annually to Congress on matters related to VA care for veterans residing in rural areas.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] · 11 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

John Thune (R-SD), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Susan M. Collins (R-ME)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong111-s658 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111