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

Sec. 102. Love Lives On Act

(a) Modification of entitlement to veterans dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses who remarry. Section 103(d) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (2)(B)—

(A) by inserting (i) before The remarriage;

(B) in clause (i), as designated by subparagraph (A), by striking Notwithstanding the previous sentence and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(ii) Notwithstanding clause (i)

; and

(C) by adding at the end the following new clause:

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(iii) Notwithstanding clause (ii), the remarriage of a surviving spouse shall not bar the furnishing of benefits under section 1311 or 1562 of this title to the surviving spouse of a veteran.

; and

(2) in paragraph (5)—

(A) by striking subparagraph (A); and

(B) by renumbering subparagraphs (B) through (E) as subparagraphs (A) through (D), respectively.

(b) Continued eligibility for survivor benefit plan for certain surviving spouses who remarry. Section 1450(b)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by striking An annuity and inserting the following:

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(A) In general. (A) Subject to subparagraph (B), an annuity

; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

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(B) Treatment of survivors of members who die on active duty. The Secretary may not terminate payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 1448(d)(1) solely because that surviving spouse remarries. In the case of a surviving spouse who remarried before reaching age 55 and before the date of the enactment of Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, the Secretary shall resume payment of the annuity to that surviving spouse—

(i) except as provided by clause (ii), for each month that begins on or after the date that is one year after such date of enactment; or

(ii) on the first day of the first month beginning after such date of enactment, in the case of a surviving spouse who elected to transfer payment of that annuity to a surviving child or children under the provisions of section 1448(d)(2)(B) of title 10, United States Code, as in effect on December 31, 2019.

(c) Expansion of definition of dependent under TRICARE program to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended. Section 1072(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon;

(2) in subparagraph (I)(v), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

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(J) a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.

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

F Other Health Care Matters