S. 1198 · 117th Congress

Solid Start Act of 2022

Introduced on Apr 15, 2021 by Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH). 5 cosponsors, 3 of them from another party. Became Public Law 117-205.

Stage
Became law
Public Law 117-205
Introduced
Apr 15, 2021
Cosponsors
5
3 from the other party
Policy area
Armed Forces and National Security
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Sent to the President
  6. Became law

Official title

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and expand the Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Government information and archives
  • Health care coverage and access
  • Mental health
  • Military personnel and dependents
  • Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
  • Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
  • Veterans' medical care
  • Veterans' organizations and recognition
  • Veterans' pensions and compensation
  • Women's health

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Oct 17, 2022). Public domain.

Solid Start Act of 2022

This act 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 act 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 three times within the first year of separation;
  • publish information about the program in booklets and on the VA website;
  • provide women veterans with information tailored to their health care and benefit needs;
  • provide information on access to state and local resources, such as Vet Centers;
  • gather and analyze data that assesses the effectiveness of the program;
  • ensure calls are tailored to each veteran's needs by conducting quality assurance tests; and
  • prioritize outreach to veterans who have accessed mental health resources prior to separation from the Armed Forces.

Under the act, the VA is authorized to (1) encourage members of the Armed Forces to provide additional contact information if they are unreachable following their separation, and (2) follow up on missed phone calls.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Margaret Wood HassanD-NHSponsor

Democrats · 1

Independents · 1

Republicans · 3

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

No recorded roll call on this measure: it moved by voice vote or unanimous consent, or has not reached the floor.

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Apr 15, 2021Introduced in Senate
  2. Apr 15, 2021 · SenateRead twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  3. Jun 23, 2021 · SenateCommittee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-231.
  4. Jul 28, 2021 · SenateCommittee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  5. Aug 4, 2022Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Tester with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  6. Aug 4, 2022 · SenateCommittee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Tester with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  7. Aug 4, 2022 · SenatePlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 478.
  8. Sep 8, 2022Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  9. Sep 8, 2022 · SenatePassed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S4519; text: CR S4519)
  10. Sep 8, 2022 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. Sep 9, 2022 · HouseReceived in the House.
  12. Sep 9, 2022 · HouseHeld at the desk.
  13. Sep 15, 2022 · SenateSenate requests return of papers with respect to S. 1198 by Unanimous Consent.
  14. Sep 19, 2022 · HouseUNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST RETURN OF PAPERS - That the Secretary of the Senate be directed to request the House of Representatives to return to the Senate the bill (S. 1198) entitled "An Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and expand the Solid State program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Agreed to without objection.
  15. Sep 19, 2022 · HouseSenate request return of papers
  16. Sep 19, 2022 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  17. Sep 19, 2022 · HousePapers returned to Senate
  18. Sep 19, 2022 · SenateSenate vitiated previous passage, under the order of 9/15/22. (CR S4812)
  19. Sep 19, 2022 · SenateMeasure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S4812)
  20. Sep 19, 2022 · SenateThe committee substitute, under the order of 9/15/22, withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
  21. Sep 19, 2022Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate, under the order of 9/15/22, with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  22. Sep 19, 2022 · SenatePassed Senate, under the order of 9/15/22, with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S4812)
  23. Sep 20, 2022 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  24. Sep 20, 2022 · HouseHeld at the desk.
  25. Sep 28, 2022 · HouseMr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  26. Sep 28, 2022 · HouseConsidered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8186-8190)
  27. Sep 28, 2022 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1198.
  28. Sep 28, 2022 · HouseAt the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  29. Sep 29, 2022 · HousePursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1396, proceedings on S. 1198 are considered vacated.
  30. Sep 29, 2022Passed/agreed to in House: Pursuant to section 10 of H. Res. 1396, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 1638, as amended; H.R. 3304, as amended; H.R. 4081, as amended; H.R. 4821, as amended; H.R. 6889, as amended; H.R. 6967, as amended; H.R. 8163, as amended; H.R. 8510, as amended; H.R. 8681, as amended; H.R. 8875, as amended; H.R. 8956; S. 1198; and agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 5641.
  31. Sep 29, 2022 · HousePursuant to section 10 of H. Res. 1396, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 1638, as amended; H.R. 3304, as amended; H.R. 4081, as amended; H.R. 4821, as amended; H.R. 6889, as amended; H.R. 6967, as amended; H.R. 8163, as amended; H.R. 8510, as amended; H.R. 8681, as amended; H.R. 8875, as amended; H.R. 8956; S. 1198; and agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 5641. (text: CR H8186)
  32. Oct 17, 2022Presented to President.
  33. Oct 17, 2022 · HousePresented to President.
  34. Oct 17, 2022Signed by President.
  35. Oct 17, 2022Signed by President.
  36. Oct 17, 2022Became Public Law No: 117-205.
  37. Oct 17, 2022Became Public Law No: 117-205.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 5, 2026 · loaded Oct 5, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.