[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9237 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9237
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, and other Federal laws,
to improve benefits for veterans and the administration of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 10, 2026
Mr. Bost (for himself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Van
Orden, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Murphy, Mr. McGuire, Mr. Barrett, Mr.
Bergman, Mr. Baird, Mr. Meuser, Ms. King-Hinds, Mrs. Kiggans of
Virginia, Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona, Mr. Hill of Arkansas, Mr. Obernolte,
Mr. Edwards, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, and other Federal laws,
to improve benefits for veterans and the administration of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Take Care of
America's Veterans Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--COMPENSATION
Sec. 101. Major Richard Star Act.
Sec. 102. Love Lives On Act.
Sec. 103. Extension of increased dependency and indemnity compensation
to surviving spouses of veterans who die
from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Sec. 104. Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion
Act of 2026.
Sec. 105. Claims: prohibition on denial solely for certain reason;
improved efficiency of adjudications and
appeals.
Sec. 106. Annual report on causes of death among veterans.
Sec. 107. Plan for use of automation tools to process claims under laws
administered by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 108. Reforms relating to Department of Veterans Affairs disability
ratings.
Sec. 109. Improvements to temporary licensure requirements for contract
health care professionals who perform
medical disability examinations for the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 110. Disability examinations: study on access in rural areas;
review of training; review of inadequate or
unnecessary examinations.
Sec. 111. Improvements to processing and outreach regarding claims
involving military sexual trauma.
Sec. 112. Independent assessment of notices that the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs sends to claimants.
Sec. 113. Independent assessment of forms that the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs sends to claimants.
TITLE II--EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
Sec. 201. Vets Opportunity Act.
Sec. 202. Improvements to process for making payments to automobile
sellers for automobiles purchased for
certain disabled veterans.
Sec. 203. Monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 Educational
Assistance Program for individuals who
pursue summer programs of education solely
through distance learning.
Sec. 204. Clarification regarding inclusion of medically necessary
automobile adaptations in Department of
Veterans Affairs definition of ``medical
services''.
Sec. 205. Digital communications: Solid Start program; educational
assistance.
Sec. 206. Improvements to Transition Assistance Program and
Skillbridge.
Sec. 207. Transition Assistance Program: presentation in preseparation
counseling to promote benefits available to
veterans.
Sec. 208. Elimination of requirement that on-campus educational and
vocational counseling is provided by
certain Department of Veterans Affairs
employees.
Sec. 209. Expansion of entitlement for payment for licensing or
certification tests for veterans entitled
to educational assistance.
Sec. 210. Increase of amount of educational assistance paid by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for first
year of a full-time program of
apprenticeship or other on-job training.
Sec. 211. Improving emerging technology opportunities for veterans.
TITLE III--HEALTH CARE
Sec. 301. Extension and modification of transportation grant program of
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 302. Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement
Act.
Sec. 303. Veterans TBI Breakthrough Exploration of Adaptive Care
Opportunities Nationwide Act.
Sec. 304. Department of Veterans Affairs assignment of traveling
physicians to serve territories and
possessions.
Sec. 305. Inclusion of adaptive prostheses and terminal devices for
sports and other recreational activities in
medical services furnished to eligible
veterans by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 306. Modifications to and reauthorization of Staff Sergeant Parker
Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program
of Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 307. Reports on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Sec. 308. Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program to provide
grants to mental health care providers for
the provision of mental health care for
veterans.
Sec. 309. Furnishing of certain health services to veterans in the
Freely Associated States.
Sec. 310. Modification of Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative;
reporting on suicide by veterans and
members of the Armed Forces.
Sec. 311. Establishment of the Blast Overpressure Task Force of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 312. Extension of sharing of Department of Veterans Affairs and
Department of Defense Health Care
Resources; resource sharing oversight and
implementation plan.
Sec. 313. Timely reporting of the death of a veteran.
Sec. 314. Expansion of access by veterans to critical access hospitals
and affiliated clinics under the Veterans
Community Care Program.
Sec. 315. Pilot platform for services for veterans; collection from
veterans of information related to social
determinants of health.
Sec. 316. Improvements to Department of Veterans Affairs prosthetic and
rehabilitative items and service.
Sec. 317. Improvement of submission of medical documentation to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs by community
care providers.
Sec. 318. Implementation of and report on efforts of Department of
Veterans Affairs to improve health care
appointment scheduling.
Sec. 319. Pilot program on coordination of care between Department of
Veterans Affairs and Medicare program.
Sec. 320. Fisher House availability.
Sec. 321. Agreements between medical facilities of Department of
Veterans Affairs and rural medical
facilities.
Sec. 322. Study on quality of care difference between mental health and
addiction therapy care provided by health
care providers of Department of Veterans
Affairs compared to non-Department
providers.
Sec. 323. Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 324. Research related to menopause, perimenopause, and mid-life
women's health: report; plan.
Sec. 325. Pilot program on provision of opioid rescue medications to
veterans.
Sec. 326. Establishment of Veterans Health Administration Policy
Advisory Commission.
Sec. 327. Access to health care.
Sec. 328. Research on health conditions of descendants of toxic-exposed
veterans.
Sec. 329. Veterans Spinal Trauma Access to New Devices Act.
Sec. 330. Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program to award grants
for the provision of service dogs to
veterans.
Sec. 331. Authorization of major medical facility project of Department
of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2027 in
Manchester, New Hampshire.
Sec. 332. Bowel and bladder care program of Department of Veterans
Affairs.
TITLE IV--ORGANIZATION
Sec. 401. Authorization of appropriations to the Office of Information
and Technology of the Department of
Veterans Affairs for certain purposes.
Sec. 402. Establishment of Under Secretary for Management and Chief
Financial Officer.
Sec. 403. Department of Veterans Affairs acquisition reform and cost
assessment.
Sec. 404. Improvement of telephone communication by Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 405. Advancing Department of Veterans Affairs emergency response
to crisis.
Sec. 406. Membership of Department of Veterans Affairs Geriatrics and
Gerontology Advisory Committee.
Sec. 407. Scheduling of appointments under the Veterans Community Care
Program.
TITLE V--MEMORIAL AFFAIRS
Sec. 501. Expansion of eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs
memorial headstone or marker for certain
individuals.
Sec. 502. Department of Veterans Affairs provision of additional burial
benefits when an urn or commemorative
plaque is furnished.
Sec. 503. Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program.
TITLE VI--VETERANS' ASSURING CRITICAL CARE EXPANSIONS TO SUPPORT
SERVICEMEMBERS
Subtitle A--Improvement of Veterans Community Care Program
Sec. 601. Codification of requirements for eligibility standards for
access to community care from Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 602. Requirement that Secretary notify veterans of eligibility for
care or denial of request for care under
Veterans Community Care Program.
Sec. 603. Consideration under Veterans Community Care Program of
continuity of care and need for caregiver
or attendant.
Sec. 604. Discussion of telehealth options under Veterans Community
Care Program.
Sec. 605. Extension of deadline for submittal of claims by health care
entities and providers under prompt payment
standard.
Sec. 606. Audit of representative sample of veterans receiving care and
services under Veterans Community Care
Program.
Sec. 607. Information on wait time and drive time options for receipt
of care by veterans.
Sec. 608. Establishment of period during which a referral under
Veterans Community Care Program remains
valid.
Sec. 609. Updates to contracting requirements under Veterans Community
Care Program.
Sec. 610. Publication of community care network sufficiency and payment
waiver requests and approvals.
Sec. 611. Requirements relating to quality of community care providers.
Sec. 612. Provider training.
Sec. 613. Oversight authority over community care.
Subtitle B--Mental Health Treatment Programs
Sec. 621. Veteran participation in certain mental health programs.
Sec. 622. Access to mental health residential rehabilitation treatment
programs for veterans with spinal cord
injury or disorder.
Subtitle C--Staffing Matters
Sec. 631. Treatment of psychologists.
Sec. 632. Mentorship program for executive leadership teams at medical
centers of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 633. Requirement for equivalent role postings for vacant positions
at Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 634. Improvements to Department of Veterans Affairs hiring
processes.
Sec. 635. Department of Veterans Affairs telework policy.
Sec. 636. Expansion of reimbursement of continuing professional
education expenses.
Sec. 637. Department of Veterans Affairs personnel transparency.
Sec. 638. Modification of authority of licensure of health care
professionals providing treatment via
telemedicine.
Sec. 639. Provision of data on educational assistance programs of
Veterans Health Administration.
Subtitle D--Optimization of Workforce
Sec. 641. Department of Veterans Affairs strategic human capital plan.
Sec. 642. Department of Veterans Affairs reduction in force notice
requirement.
Sec. 643. Detailed plans and justifications for reorganization of
offices.
Sec. 644. Rule of construction.
Subtitle E--Veterans Infrastructure and Transformation
Sec. 651. Short title.
Sec. 652. Modification of authority for sharing of health-care
resources of Department of Veterans Affairs
to include flexible space utilization and
streamlined service agreements.
Sec. 653. Use of commercial construction and facilities code and
standards.
Sec. 654. Feasibility study for full-service hospital of Department of
Veterans Affairs in certain States.
Sec. 655. Report on strategic plan for infrastructure and capital
assets of Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 656. Permanent extension of pilot program on acceptance by the
Department of Veterans affairs of donated
facilities and related improvements.
Sec. 657. Authority to accept donations of construction services, minor
construction or nonrecurring maintenance
projects, and targeted contributions.
Sec. 658. Report on use of additional authorities relating to
recruitment and retention of personnel.
Sec. 659. Reports on key capital asset investments, activities, and
performance of Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 660. Development of streamlined procurement model; report.
Sec. 661. Submission and notification of cost estimates for medical
facility leases.
Sec. 662. Report on capital asset and information technology needs of
the research and development program of
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 663. Improving prevention, detection, and reporting of waste,
fraud, and abuse in Department of Veterans
Affairs capital asset projects and
activities.
Sec. 664. Report on long-term care physical infrastructure needs of
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Subtitle F--Other Health Care Matters
Sec. 671. Prescription, delivery, distribution, and dispensation of
controlled substance medications by covered
health care professionals of Department of
Veterans Affairs via telemedicine.
Sec. 672. Copayments for limited supplies of medications.
Sec. 673. Plan on establishment of interactive, online self-service
module for care.
Sec. 674. Modification of requirements for Center for Innovation for
Care and Payment of the Department of
Veterans Affairs and transfer of authority.
Sec. 675. Report on improvements to clinical appeals process.
Sec. 676. Plan on increasing accessibility of care for veterans with
spinal cord injury or disorder.
TITLE I--COMPENSATION
SEC. 101. MAJOR RICHARD STAR ACT.
(a) Concurrent Receipt Generally.--Section 1414(b) of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting
the following new paragraphs:
``(2) Combat-related disability retirees.--
``(A) In general.--A member retired under chapter
61 of this title with a combat-related disability who
is entitled for any month to retired pay under chapter
61 of this title and is also entitled for that month to
veterans' disability compensation under title 38, is
entitled to be paid both without regard to sections
5304 and 5305 of title 38, as provided by subparagraphs
(B) and (C).
``(B) Career retirees.--In the case of a member
retired under chapter 61 of this title who has a
combat-related disability that is not a qualifying
service-connected disability (as defined in subsection
(a)(2)) and who, at the time of the member's
retirement, had 20 ye