<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><BillSummaries>
    <item congress="116" measure-type="s" measure-number="2216" measure-id="id116s2216" originChamber="SENATE" orig-publish-date="2019-07-23" update-date="2021-10-20">
        <title>Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act</title>
        <summary summary-id="id116s2216v49" currentChamber="BOTH" update-date="2021-10-20">
            <action-date>2020-12-31</action-date>
            <action-desc>Public Law</action-desc>
            <summary-text><![CDATA[ <p><b>Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act or the TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act</b></p> <p>The bill revises the administration of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) caregiver programs. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to report on the feasibility and advisability of formally recognizing caregivers of veterans by identifying them in the veteran's electronic health record. Such caregivers covered by the bill include those approved as a provider of personal care services under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and those participating in the Program of General Caregiver Support Services. If the VA determines that formally recognizing caregivers is feasible and advisable, it must implement recognition.</p> <p>The bill requires the VA to use standardized letters to notify veterans, their caregivers, and applicants for the program regarding decisions affecting the furnishing of assistance under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Such notifications must contain specified details regarding the decision.</p> <p>The bill also authorizes the VA to extend benefits for a 90-day period under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, including the monthly personal caregiver stipend, after determining that a veteran is no longer eligible for the program solely because of improvement in their condition. The effective date of discharge from the program shall not be earlier than 60 days after the date on which the VA provides notice of the lack of eligibility.</p>]]></summary-text>
        </summary>
        <summary summary-id="id116s2216v55" currentChamber="SENATE" update-date="2021-10-20">
            <action-date>2020-11-17</action-date>
            <action-desc>Passed Senate</action-desc>
            <summary-text><![CDATA[ <p><b>Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act or the TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act</b></p> <p>The bill revises the administration of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) caregiver programs. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to report on the feasibility and advisability of formally recognizing caregivers of veterans by identifying them in the veteran's electronic health record. Such caregivers covered by the bill include those approved as a provider of personal care services under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and those participating in the Program of General Caregiver Support Services. If the VA determines that formally recognizing caregivers is feasible and advisable, it must implement recognition.</p> <p>The bill requires the VA to use standardized letters to notify veterans, their caregivers, and applicants for the program regarding decisions affecting the furnishing of assistance under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Such notifications must contain specified details regarding the decision.</p> <p>The bill also authorizes the VA to extend benefits for a 90-day period under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, including the monthly personal caregiver stipend, after determining that a veteran is no longer eligible for the program solely because of improvement in their condition. The effective date of discharge from the program shall not be earlier than 60 days after the date on which the VA provides notice of the lack of eligibility.</p>]]></summary-text>
        </summary>
        <summary summary-id="id116s2216v25" currentChamber="SENATE" update-date="2020-09-24">
            <action-date>2020-09-15</action-date>
            <action-desc>Reported to Senate</action-desc>
            <summary-text><![CDATA[<p><b>Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act or the TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act</b></p> <p>The bill revises the administration of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) caregiver programs. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to formally recognize caregivers of veterans by identifying any caregiver in the electronic health record of the veteran. Such caregivers covered by the bill include those approved as a provider of personal care services under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and those participating in the Program of General Caregiver Support Services.</p> <p>The bill requires the VA to use standardized letters to notify veterans, their caregivers, and applicants for the program regarding decisions affecting the furnishing of assistance under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.</p> <p>The bill also authorizes the VA to temporarily extend benefits under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, including the monthly personal caregiver stipend, after determining that a veteran is no longer clinically eligible for the program.</p>]]></summary-text>
        </summary>
        <summary summary-id="id116s2216v00" currentChamber="SENATE" update-date="2020-05-11">
            <action-date>2019-07-23</action-date>
            <action-desc>Introduced in Senate</action-desc>
            <summary-text><![CDATA[<p><b>Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act or the TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act</b></p> <p>The bill revises the administration of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) caregiver programs. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to formally recognize caregivers of veterans by identifying any caregiver in the health record of the veteran. Such caregivers covered by the bill include those participating in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and those participating in the Program of General Caregiver Support Services.</p> <p>The bill requires the VA to notify veterans and their caregivers regarding any clinical determinations made relating to claims under, or eligibility for, the specified caregiver programs. The notifications must be standardized and contain specified details regarding the decisions.</p> <p>The bill also requires the VA to temporarily extend benefits under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers for at least 90 days after the receipt of notice that a veteran is no longer clinically eligible for the program. Such an extension shall not apply to the termination of caregiver benefits (1) for cause, (2) because the veteran died, or (3) upon request of the caregiver or veteran. </p>]]></summary-text>
        </summary>
    </item>
    <dublinCore xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
        <dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
        <dc:language>EN</dc:language>
        <dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
        <dc:contributor>Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress</dc:contributor>
        <dc:description>This file contains bill summaries for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.</dc:description>
    </dublinCore>
</BillSummaries>
