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H.R. 974: BRAVE Act

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H.R. 974: BRAVE Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-07 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-07 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Rice, Kathleen M. [D-NY-4] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 87 (2017): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, HR974 (2017-02-13), Passed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. 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

BRAVE Act

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment Act or the BRAVE Act (Sec. 2) This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in awarding a contract for the procurement of goods or services, to give preference to offerors based on the percentage of the offeror's full-time employees who are veterans. The VA is authorized to debar from VA contracting for at least five years any offeror determined to have willfully and intentionally misrepresented the veteran status of its employees. Such debarment shall include the debarment of all principals in the offeror for at least five years. The VA shall: (1) commence debarment actions within 30 days after determining that the offeror misrepresented such veteran status, and (2) complete debarment actions within 90 days after such determination.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House 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

BRAVE Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Rice, Kathleen M. [D-NY-4] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mark Takano (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA)

Recorded votes

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

Record fed-us-cong115-hr974 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115