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S. 1449: Serving our Rural Veterans Act of 2017

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S. 1449: Serving our Rural Veterans Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-06-27 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-06-27 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: 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

Serving our Rural Veterans Act of 2017

Plain summary

Serving our Rural Veterans Act of 2017 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay for the training and employment of Veterans Health Administration medical residents and interns at a covered facility, which includes: (1) a VA facility; (2) a facility operated by an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or the Indian Health Service; (3) a federally-qualified health center; or (4) a community health center. (Currently, such payments are authorized only for VA facilities.) The VA shall carry out an eight-year pilot program to establish or affiliate with graduate medical education residency training programs at not more than four facilities. The VA shall reimburse each participating facility for the costs of: curriculum development; recruitment, training, supervision, and retention of residents and faculty; accreditation of education programs; faculty salaries attributable to program activities; and other expenses relating to providing medical education under the program. A program participant: (1) shall agree to one year of obligated service at a covered or a VA facility for each year of partipation in the program, (2) who fails to satisfy the obligated service period shall be liable to the United States for a prorated portion of the amount paid for program participation, and (3) during the period of obligated service, shall be eligible for participation in the Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program and the VA Education Debt Reduction Program. A covered facility for pilot program purposes means a facility: (1) operated by an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or the Indian Health Service that has an existing reimbursement agreement with the VA; and (2) located in a rural or remote area.

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

Serving our Rural Veterans Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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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: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] reported raising $11.5 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)
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).
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.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-s1449 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115