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

IV Organization

V Memorial Affairs

VI Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers

A Improvement of Veterans Community Care Program

Sec. 602. Requirement that Secretary notify veterans of eligibility for care or denial of request for care under Veterans Community Care Program

(a) In general. Section 1703(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

Text this section adds to the law

(5)

(A)

(i) Except as provided in clause (iii), the Secretary shall notify each covered veteran in writing of the eligibility of such veteran for care or services under this section as soon as possible but not later than five days after the date on which the Secretary is aware that the veteran is seeking care or services and is eligible for such care or services under this section.

(ii) The Secretary is required to notify a covered veteran under clause (i) only at the start of an episode of care for such veteran.

(iii) The Secretary shall allow a covered veteran to opt out of receiving notification under clause (i).

(B) With respect to each covered veteran eligible for care or services under subsection (d), and consistent with subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall provide such veteran periodic reminders, as applicable and as the Secretary determines appropriate, of their ongoing eligibility under such subsection.

(C) Any notification or reminder under this paragraph may be provided electronically.

(6)

(A) If a request by a veteran for the Secretary to authorize care or services under this section is denied, except as provided in subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall notify the veteran in writing as soon as possible but not later than five days after the denial is made—

(i) of the reason for the denial; and

(ii) with instructions on how to appeal such denial using the clinical appeals process of the Veterans Health Administration.

(B) If a denial under subparagraph (A) is due to the Secretary meeting the eligibility access standards under section 1703B(a) of this title, notice under such subparagraph shall include an explanation of how the Secretary met such standards.

(C) The Secretary shall allow a covered veteran to opt out of receiving notification under subparagraph (A).

(D) Any notification under this paragraph may be provided electronically.

(b) Reports to Congress. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually thereafter for a period of five 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 implementation of the amendments made by subsection (a), including—

(1) an assessment of the timeliness of the notifications required by those amendments;

(2) a description of barriers to increasing the timeliness of those notifications; and

(3) the number of veterans who opt out of receiving those notifications.

B Mental Health Treatment Programs

C Staffing Matters

D Optimization of Workforce

E Veterans Infrastructure and Transformation

F Other Health Care Matters