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

Sec. 310. Modification of Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative; reporting on suicide by veterans and members of the Armed Forces

(a) Modification of Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative. Section 305 of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 (Public Law 116–171; 38 U.S.C. 1712A note) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by striking and such other mental health conditions and inserting repetitive low-level blast exposure, dementia, and such other brain and mental health conditions;

(2) in subsection (d)(4), by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

Text this section adds to the law

(E) Data-sharing partnership

(i) In general. The Secretary shall work with the Secretary of Defense to establish a data-sharing partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.

(ii) Storage. The partnership established under clause (i) shall be stored in the open platform made available under this paragraph.

(iii) Data. The data supplied by the Secretary of Defense under the partnership established under clause (i) shall include relevant data throughout the Department of Defense relating to low-level repetitive blast exposure and traumatic brain injury collected by the Armed Forces and other appropriate entities, as determined jointly by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

; and

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

Text this section adds to the law

(f) Repetitive low-level blast exposure research. In carrying out the initiative under subsection (a), the Secretary shall prioritize research—

(1) to identify and validate biomarkers associated with repetitive low-level blast exposure and traumatic brain injury;

(2) to evaluate clinical and non-clinical interventions that improve cognitive function, quality of life, and mental health outcomes among veterans with symptoms associated with repetitive low-level blast exposure;

(3) to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and care coordination for veterans with a history of low-level repetitive blast exposure or traumatic brain injury, including veterans who performed duties or tasks associated with increased risk of low-level repetitive blast exposure; and

(4) to develop evidence-based strategies to reduce suicide risk among veterans with a history of low-level repetitive blast exposure or traumatic brain injury.

(g) Assistance and report by national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which the National Academies shall—

(1) work in tandem with the initiative under subsection (a) on validation of brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans; and

(2) not less frequently than once every two years, 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 work completed under paragraph (1).

(h) Assessment

(1) In general. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct an assessment of all translational research studies in progress and planned under the initiative under subsection (a), including research under subsection (f).

(2) Report. Not later than 60 days after completion of the assessment conducted under paragraph (1), the Secretary 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 assessment.

(i) Reports

(1) In general. Not less frequently than once every two years, 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 initiative under subsection (a).

(2) Recommendations. Each report required by paragraph (1) may include recommendations for immediate administrative and legislative action to improve the initiative under subsection (a).

(j) Authorization of appropriations. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs $5,000,000 to carry out the initiative under subsection (a) for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032.

(b) Inclusion of information in reports on suicide prevention among veterans and members of the Armed Forces

(1) Inclusion of information in national veteran suicide prevention annual report. Section 149(a)(4)(B) of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (Public Law 118–210; 38 U.S.C. 1709B note) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(iv) Military occupation data of veterans who attempt or commit suicide.

(2) Inclusion of information in Department of Defense annual report. The Secretary of Defense shall include in the annual report of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, or successor office, information on—

(A) occupational data of members of the Armed Forces who attempt suicide; and

(B) outcomes of suicide prevention interventions among members of the Armed Forces.

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