H.R. 9237

Take Care of America’s Veterans Act

Sponsor: Mike Bost

30 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Take Care of America's Veterans Act

This bill addresses veterans’ benefits, health care, counseling, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel, VA infrastructure, and the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP).

The bill modifies various compensation programs for veterans, including by (1) allowing concurrent receipt of disability compensation and military retired pay for certain retirees with a combat-related disability, (2) extending entitlement for various benefits and services to remarried surviving spouses, (3) increasing the rate of dependency and indemnity compensation, and (4) establishing a supplemental monthly allowance for certain disabled veterans.

The bill also addresses VA education and training benefits, including by (1) modifying which independent study programs are covered under veterans’ educational assistance benefits, (2) requiring Transition Assistance Program counseling to include a presentation about VA benefits, and (3) increasing the housing allowance rate for individuals pursuing apprenticeships.

The bill revises health care provisions, including by (1) expanding support and assistance provided to family caregivers, (2) extending the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, and (3) expanding the scope of VA mental health research.

Among other elements, the bill

  • revises VA disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus;
  • expands eligibility for a memorial headstone or marker for the spouse, surviving spouse, child, or dependent of a veteran or member of the Armed Forces;
  • addresses the administration of the VCCP and codifies the eligibility standards;
  • establishes a standardized screening process for priority or routine admission to certain mental health care programs; and
  • addresses VA personnel, hiring, and infrastructure matters.

Text of the bill

Expand all

I Compensation

II Education and Economic Opportunity

III Health Care

IV Organization

V Memorial Affairs

VI Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers

A Improvement of Veterans Community Care Program

B Mental Health Treatment Programs

C Staffing Matters

D Optimization of Workforce

E Veterans Infrastructure and Transformation

Sec. 655. Report on strategic plan for infrastructure and capital assets of Department of Veterans Affairs

(a) Report. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this title, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the strategic plan for infrastructure and capital assets of the Department of Veterans Affairs, which summarizes a facility lifecycle strategy targeting modernization of owned and leased facilities and infrastructure required to mitigate increasing systemic failures, veteran and staff safety, benefits delivery interruptions, and funding associated to address emergency repairs.

(b) Elements. The report required by subsection (a) shall cover known and projected requirements over a period of not less than 10 years for the following:

(1) Land acquisition.

(2) Operations and maintenance of facilities of the existing capital asset portfolio of the Department.

(3) Operations and maintenance of the planned future capital asset portfolio of the Department.

(4) New construction, disaggregated by type of new construction, including the following types of construction:

(A) Major construction.

(B) Minor construction.

(C) Nonrecurring maintenance.

(5) Leasing.

(6) Alternative acquisition methods, such as partnerships and donations.

(7) Activation of space.

(8) Disposal, reuse, and remediation.

(9) Facility lifecycle strategy process supporting the planning, programming delivery, management, and maintenance of the current and future capital asset portfolio of the Department.

(10) A discussion of the negative effect of the lack of stable and predictable capital asset funding on the ability of the Department to plan, staff, and execute effective capital asset management.

(11) Overview of the strategy being utilized in the approach of the Secretary to capital investment, across all the capital and leasing programs, including the approach of repair versus recapitalization, use of leasing, and other relevant strategies as deemed appropriate by the Secretary.

(12) Such other matters as the Secretary considers appropriate, including with respect to legislative or administrative action, if such actions are subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

(c) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section or a report submitted under this section shall be construed to create or imply any financial or operational obligation beyond the availability of appropriated funds.

F Other Health Care Matters