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. 664. Report on long-term care physical infrastructure needs of Department of Veterans Affairs

(a) In general. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report, disaggregated by medical center or other relevant health care facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, identifying the physical infrastructure needs of the Department to support current and future anticipated long-term care needs and models of care for veterans, including—

(1) infrastructure needed to support the delivery of long-term care for women veterans, veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases, veterans with traumatic brain injury, veterans with unique behavioral health needs, veterans with memory loss, and other population groups with unique needs or projected future needs;

(2) information regarding the plans of the Department to provide such care as the Department builds internal capacity but space is not yet available to meet the demand for such care; and

(3) with respect to any projects needed to provide the infrastructure specified under paragraph (1)—

(A) the estimated individual project cost and total cost to accomplish those projects; and

(B) the estimated individual project timeline to accomplish each such project upon receipt of appropriate funding.

(b) Inclusion of information regarding prioritization of certain projects. The Secretary shall include in the report required under subsection (a) information regarding how the infrastructure prioritization processes of the Department, such as the Strategic Capital Investment Planning process, or successor process, could be modified to include higher prioritization of projects that support the provision of a health care service that is not widely available, or is not available in compliance with appropriate quality or access standards, from non-Department providers.

(c) Development of report. In developing the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with relevant regional and national program offices of the Veterans Health Administration with responsibility for managing the various health care services covered by the report, including long-term care and care relating to spinal cord injuries and diseases, to ensure that the report contains a holistic, comprehensive, and integrated plan to address the capital asset and other space needs for the population of veterans who require those services.

(d) Indication of types of projects. In the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall indicate the projects that can be most efficiently and effectively accomplished through smaller individual infrastructure projects or through a larger medical facility replacement or new site of care, as determined by the Secretary.

F Other Health Care Matters