H.R. 9237

Take Care of America’s Veterans Act

Sponsor: Mike Bost

30 cosponsors
Follow this bill

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

Sec. 301. Extension and modification of transportation grant program of Department of Veterans Affairs

Section 307 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–163; 38 U.S.C. 1710 note) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:

Text this section adds to the law

(C) Indian tribes.

(D) Tribal organizations.

(E) Native Hawaiian organizations.

(F) County veterans service organizations.

(B) in paragraph (3), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking State veterans service agency or veterans service organization awarded and inserting recipient of; and

(C) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:

Text this section adds to the law

(4) Maximum amount

(A) In general. Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), the amount of a grant under this section may not exceed $50,000.

(B) Off-road communities. In the case of a county that has more than five communities that are off the road system, the amount of a grant awarded with respect to that county under this section may be increased by an amount not to exceed 50 percent of the amount specified in subparagraph (A).

(C) Purchasing a vehicle

(i) Amount. The amount of a grant awarded under this section to a recipient may be increased by not more than $80,000 if the recipient is purchasing a vehicle to comply with requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) in carrying out this section.

(ii) Limitations. The Secretary may prescribe limitations on the number of vehicles purchased by each recipient under this section.

(2) by striking subsection (d);

(3) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively;

(4) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsections:

Text this section adds to the law

(b) Additional services

(1) Nearby rural areas. In addition to providing innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas, a recipient of a grant under this section may use amounts provided under the grant to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in nearby rural areas.

(2) Priority. A recipient of a grant under this section shall prioritize the provision of innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas, and shall demonstrate to the Secretary such priority, and may only provide services under paragraph (1) to veterans in nearby rural areas if—

(A) it does not impede the services provided to veterans in highly rural areas; and

(B) the grantee has excess capacity and resources available to provide such services to veterans in nearby rural areas.

(c) Eligibility of previous areas. Areas eligible for assistance under the grant program under this section on the day before the date of the enactment of the Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act shall remain eligible for such assistance on and after such date of enactment.

; and

(5) in subsection (e), as redesignated by paragraph (2)—

(A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (5); and

(B) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(1) Indian tribe; Tribal organization. The terms Indian tribe and Tribal organization have the meanings given those terms in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

(2) Native Hawaiian organization. The term Native Hawaiian organization has the meaning given that term in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517).

(3) Nearby. The term nearby, with respect to a rural area, includes rural areas adjacent to a highly rural area and rural areas geographically between the highly rural area and the nearest Department of Veterans Affairs medical center.

(4) Rural; highly rural. The terms rural and highly rural have the meanings given those terms under the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system of the Department of Agriculture.

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