H.R. 4011: DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015
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H.R. 4011: DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015
114th Congress · introduced 2015-11-16 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2015-11-16 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015
Plain summary
Delivering Opportunities for Care and Services for Veterans Act of 2015 or the DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015 This bill amends the Social Security Act with respect to determining the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) residents for payments to hospitals for direct graduate medical education (GME) costs, in particular the limitation on the total number of FTE residents in the field of allopathic or osteopathic medicine in a hospital's approved medical residency training program. In applying this limitation, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall not take into account any such resident that is filling a GME residency position that counts towards meeting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) obligation under the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to increase the number of GME residency positions at VA medical facilities by up to 1,500 positions. The period for increasing GME residency positions at VA medical facilities is extended to 10 years. The VA and HHS shall jointly conduct a six-year pilot program to establish at least three graduate behavioral medicine residency programs in underserved areas in the United States. Education and training of marriage and family therapists and licensed professional mental health counselors shall be included in VA health personnel education and training programs. Persons with a doctoral degree in mental health counseling are eligible for appointment to a VA mental health counselor position. Physician assistants in VA facilities must receive pay competitive with pay for similar positions in non-VA facilities in the same labor market. Not less than 30% of debt reduction payments paid under the education debt reduction program each year shall be paid to individuals who practice medicine in a rural or highly rural area. The positions (and pay) of Directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks are established. The VA shall conduct a two-year pilot program to assess the feasibility of implementing in rural and highly rural areas with a large percentage of veterans a nurse advice line to provide veterans with medical advice, appointment and cancellation services, and information on the availability of VA benefits.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
DOCs for Veterans Act of 2015
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7] · 4 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ-7] reported raising $4.8 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
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.
Words on this page, explained (3)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
- Obligation
- A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
- Securities
- Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr4011.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>
Record fed-us-cong114-hr4011 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114