What The Vote
Overview

Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004

108-s2486 — Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004. Sponsored by Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]. Introduced 2004-06-01. Senate bill. 108th Congress.

108-s2486 108th Congress Senate Became Public Law No: 108-454. Died in Committee
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Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004

Timeline

Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Sponsor
Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA] (R), PA
Cosponsors
2 cosponsors
Introduced
2004-06-01
Committees
Veterans' Affairs Committee; Veterans' Affairs Committee
Subjects
Administrative remedies; Apprenticeship; Armed forces reserves; Civil actions and liability; Coinsurance; Congress; Congressional reporting requirements; Crime and Law Enforcement; Department of Labor; Disability evaluation; Disabled; Economics and Public Finance; Education; Educational counseling; Employment tests; Ex-prisoners of war; Federal advisory bodies; Federal aid to education; Federal employees; Federally-guaranteed loans; Fees; Finance and Financial Sector; Government Operations and Politics; Government lending; Government paperwork; Grievance procedures; Health; Higher education; Hispanic Americans; Housing and Community Development; Housing finance; Labor and Employment; Law; Licenses; Medical economics; Mental health services; Military pay; Minorities; Mortgage guaranty insurance; Mortgage interest rates; Mortgages; Payroll deductions; Psychotherapy; Rape; Scholarships; Sexual harassment; Student aid; Student loan funds; Technical education; Terminal care; Veterans' benefits; Veterans' disability compensation; Veterans' education; Veterans' employment; Veterans' loans; Veterans' medical care; Victims of crimes; Vocational and technical education; Vocational guidance; Women; Women soldiers

Bill Activity

House
Referred in House
2004-10-09
House Floor Vote
2004-11-17
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H9749-9758)
Senate
Introduced in Senate
2004-06-01
Committee
2004-06-22
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
Committee
2004-07-20
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
Committee
2004-09-20
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Specter with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 108-352.
Committee
2004-10-08
The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
Committee
2004-10-09
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Engrossed in Senate
2004-10-08
Senate Floor Vote
2004-10-08
Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
President
President
2004-11-29
Presented to President.
Became Law
2004-12-10
Became Public Law No: 108-454.
Enrolled Bill
Public Law
2004-12-11

How a Bill Becomes a Law

The typical path from introduction to law. Every bill's actual journey (above) may skip steps or stop early — most never make it past committee.

  1. 1
    Introduced

    A member files the bill in the House or Senate.

  2. 2
    Committee Review

    Referred to committee for hearings, markup, and a vote to advance it.

  3. 3
    Floor Vote

    The full chamber debates and votes on passage.

  4. 4
    Second Chamber

    If passed, it repeats committee review and a floor vote in the other chamber.

  5. 5
    Resolve Differences

    If the chambers pass different versions, a conference reconciles them.

  6. 6
    Sent to President

    The reconciled bill is enrolled and delivered to the White House.

  7. 7
    Signed or Vetoed

    Becomes law with a signature, or automatically after 10 days.

    ✓ Becomes Law ✗ Vetoed
    Stalled here

A veto can still be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both chambers. And once a bill is signed into law, further changes come from new amending legislation — not edits to the original text.

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