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

B Mental Health Treatment Programs

C Staffing Matters

Sec. 639. Provision of data on educational assistance programs of Veterans Health Administration

(a) In general. Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives data on graduate medical education programs, health profession scholarship programs, and any other educational assistance programs within the Veterans Health Administration.

(b) Elements. The data required to be provided under subsection (a) shall include, for each program, the following:

(1) The number of active participants, broken down by position or expected future position or licensure.

(2) The amount of funds spent each fiscal year.

(3) The number of participants who have completed their education and are currently completing their service requirements at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(4) The number of participants who were previously active in the program but left the program before completing their education or service requirement during the year preceding the date on which the data is provided.

(5) An overview of outreach by the Department to prospective participants in the program.

(6) Such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(c) Update and submittal of data. The data required to be provided under subsection (a)—

(1) shall be updated not less frequently than annually; and

(2) may be submitted to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives as part of another report required by law.

(d) Initial data. With the first iteration of data provided under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide 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 pilot program under section 246 of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018 (division J of Public Law 115–141; 38 U.S.C. 7601 note), including the current status of the pilot program and a timeline of the status of the pilot program since its initial implementation.

D Optimization of Workforce

E Veterans Infrastructure and Transformation

F Other Health Care Matters