S. 2417: Tribal Veterans Health Care Enhancement Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-12-17 · Native Americans · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 671.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-12-17 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 671. 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.

What does this mean?

Official title

Tribal Veterans Health Care Enhancement Act

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Tribal Veterans Health Care Enhancement Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to allow the Indian Health Service (IHS) to pay copayments owed to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by Indian veterans for services authorized under the Purchased/Referred Care program. The IHS and the VA, in consultation with impacted Indian tribes, must enter into a memorandum of understanding that authorizes the IHS to pay such copayments unless it would decrease the quality of, or access to, health care for individuals receiving care from the IHS or the VA. The IHS and the VA must report on veterans who are IHS beneficiaries and have received care from the VA.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment), 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

Tribal Veterans Health Care Enhancement Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 2417, Tribal Veterans Health Care Enhancement Act (2016-09-13)

Cosponsors on this site

Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Hoeven (R-ND)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] reported raising $4.7 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 (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
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).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2417.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s2417 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114