of 2014 was introduced into the United States House of Representatives on March 14, 2014 by Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO-6). The bill was referred to the United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs that same day, where it was then referred on March 24 to two subcommittees, the United States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health and the United States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the bill on March 25, 2014. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL-01), then Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, brought the bill to the House floor on May 28, 2014 for consideration under suspension of the rules, where it unanimously passed the House by voice vote. The bill was then received by the Senate, where it was referred to the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. The Senate took no formal action on the bill, leaving it to die at the conclusion of the 113th Congress. It was not subsequently reintroduced. Debate and discussion According to Rep. Coffman, who sponsored the bill, the legislation is the result of an investigation by the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations which determined that the VA was "exercising too much control over the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses (RAC)" and was "denying their ability to effectively and independently carry out its Congressionally mandated role to improve the lives of Gulf War Veterans." The investigation found the misappropriation of funds, the placement of biased members in the RAC, and restrictions on RAC reports to keep them from circulating. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who supported the bill, said that it was our job to ensure "the VA conducts objective research on chronic illnesses experienced by Gulf War veterans, in an effort to find treatments that can make a difference in their quality of life." See also List of bills in the 113th United States Congress References External links Library of Congress - Thomas H.R. 4261 beta.congress.gov H.R. 4261 GovTrack.us H.R. 4261 OpenCongress.org H.R. 4261 WashingtonWatch.com H.R. 4261 Proposed legislation of the 113th United States Congress United States Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf War syndrome