H.R. 8819: Solid Start Act of 2020

116th Congress · introduced 2020-11-24 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-11-24 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI-8] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House 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.

What does this mean?

Official title

Solid Start Act of 2020

Plain summary

Solid Start Act of 2020 This bill permanently authorizes and expands the Solid Start program, which is an outreach program for veterans in their first year of separation from the military. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate with the Department of Defense to collect updated contact information during transition classes or separation counseling for members of the Armed Forces who are separating from service, explain the existence and purpose of the program, call veterans at least twice within the first year of separation, publish information about the program in booklets and on the VA website, provide information about veterans' eligibility for VA programs and benefits, and prioritize outreach to veterans who have accessed mental health resources prior to separation from the Armed Forces. Under the bill, the VA is authorized to (1) encourage members of the Armed Forces to provide additional contact information if they are unreachable following their separation, (2) follow up on missed phone calls, and (3) reach out to veterans who separated prior to the initiation of the Solid Start program. The Government Accountability Office must assess and report on the Solid Start program.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), 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

Solid Start Act of 2020

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. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI-8] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

David P. Joyce (R-OH), Jack Bergman (R-MI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI-8] reported raising $6.0 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 (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 (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr8819.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr8819 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116