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. 324. Research related to menopause, perimenopause, and mid-life women’s health: report; plan

(a) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Covered provider. The term covered provider means a health care provider employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(2) Menopause. The term menopause means the stage of a woman’s life—

(A) when menstrual periods stop permanently and she can no longer get pregnant; and

(B) that is not a disease state, but a normal part of aging for women.

(3) Mid-life. The term mid-life means a life stage that—

(A) coincides with the menopausal transition in women, which may be physical or emotional;

(B) encompasses the late reproductive age, which can begin at approximately 35 years of age, to the late postmenopausal stages of reproductive aging, which can extend to approximately 65 years of age; and

(C) often marks the onset of many chronic diseases.

(4) Perimenopause. The term perimenopause means the time during a woman's life when levels of the hormone estrogen fall unevenly in a woman’s body and is also called the menopausal transition.

(5) Postmenopausal. The term postmenopausal means the stage of a woman's life after a woman has been without a menstrual period for 12 months that lasts for the rest of a woman’s life and reflects a time when women are at increased risk for osteoporosis and heart disease.

(b) Evaluation of certain research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women’s health

(1) In general. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall evaluate—

(A) the results of completed research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women’s health among women who are members of the uniformed services or veterans;

(B) the status of such research that is ongoing;

(C) any gaps in knowledge and research on—

(i) treatments for menopause-related symptoms, including hormone and non-hormone treatments;

(ii) the safety and effectiveness of treatments for menopause-related symptoms;

(iii) the impact of perimenopause and menopause on the mental health of women who are members of the uniformed services or veterans;

(D) the availability of and uptake of professional training resources for covered providers relating to mid-life women’s health with respect to the care, treatment, and management of perimenopause and menopausal symptoms, and related support services; and

(E) the availability of and uptake of treatments for women who are members of the uniformed services or veterans who are experiencing perimenopause or menopause.

(2) Report; strategic plan. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report containing—

(A) the findings of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1);

(B) recommendations for improving professional training resources described in paragraph (1)(D) for covered providers; and

(C) a strategic plan that—

(i) resolves the gaps in knowledge and research identified in the report; and

(ii) identifies topics in need of further research relating to potential treatments for menopause-related symptoms of women who are members of the uniformed services or veterans.

(3) Nonduplication and supplementation of efforts. In carrying out activities under this section, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that such activities minimize duplication and supplement, not supplant, existing information-sharing efforts of the Department of Health and Human Services.

(c) Sense of Congress on additional research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women’s health. It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should each conduct research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life health regarding women who are members of the uniformed services or veterans.

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