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

Sec. 205. Digital communications: Solid Start program; educational assistance

(a) Improvement to certain outreach under Solid Start program of Department of Veterans Affairs. Section 6320(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)(B)—

(A) by striking calling and inserting communicating with; and

(B) by inserting through the use of tailored lines of communication, including mailings, text messaging, virtual chatting, and other electronic forms of messaging after Armed Forces; and

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking tailored mailings and inserting tailored lines of communication, including mailings, text messaging, virtual chatting, and other electronic forms of messaging,.

(b) Department of Veterans Affairs use of tailored lines of communication for correspondence relating to educational assistance benefits. Section 3680 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

Text this section adds to the law

(i)

(1) The Secretary shall provide a mechanism by which an eligible veteran or eligible person may use tailored lines of communication to send and receive correspondence with the Department of Veterans related to entitlement to and use of educational assistance benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary. The Secretary shall ensure that an eligible veteran or eligible person is provided with an opportunity to opt into sending and receiving such correspondence using such lines of communication rather than by mail.

(2) The Secretary shall provide to eligible veterans and eligible persons who are enrolled in a course or program of education or training notice of the opportunity to opt in to sending and receiving correspondence using tailored lines of communication pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3) In this subsection, the term tailored lines of communication includes mailings, text messaging, virtual chatting, and other electronic forms of messaging.

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

F Other Health Care Matters