As ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on September 10, 2014
H.R. 5404 would extend a number of requirements and authorities related to providing benefits to veterans. In total, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $1.3 billion over the 2015-2019 period, subject to appropriation of the necessary amounts.
In addition, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would increase direct spending by $2 million over the 2015-2024 period; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply to the bill. Enacting H.R. 5404 would not affect revenues.
H.R. 5404 would impose an intergovernmental and private-sector mandate as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by extending the period during which insurers would have to cover certain care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to veterans with conditions related to military service. CBO estimates that the cost of the mandate would exceed the threshold established in UMRA for private-sector mandates in fiscal year 2015, but that the cost to state and local governments would not exceed the threshold established for intergovernmental mandates in that year. (The thresholds in 2014 are $76 million for intergovernmental mandates and $152 million for private-sector mandates; both thresholds are adjusted annually for inflation.)
