S. 1881: Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017
Before you vote › Federal bills
S. 1881: Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017
115th Congress · introduced 2017-09-28 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2017-09-28 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- 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.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017
Plain summary
Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017 This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to make a veteran seeking mental health care in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) entity eligible for such care if the veteran provides a written statement (which may be sent electronically or made in person or by fax) that the veteran seeks mental health care from the VA and has not received timely and adequate mental health care through a VA facility or health care provider. The VA shall give health professional hiring priority to those health professionals for which there is the greatest need, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health care providers.
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
Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017
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. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] · 3 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Cornyn (R-TX)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] reported raising $2.0 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 (1)
- 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 (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s1881.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>
Record fed-us-cong115-s1881 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115