[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2738 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2738

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide travel expenses for 
     family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment 
                              facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2009

  Mr. Teague introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide travel expenses for 
     family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment 
                              facilities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. LODGING AND SUBSISTENCE FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 111(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``When any'' and inserting ``(1) When 
        any'';
            (2) in paragraph (1), as designated by paragraph (1) of 
        this subsection--
                    (A) by striking ``(other than an employee of the 
                Department)'' and inserting ``, including a family 
                caregiver (as defined in section 1701(11)) and 
                excluding an employee of the Department,'';
                    (B) by inserting ``(including lodging and 
                subsistence)'' after ``expenses of travel''; and
                    (C) by inserting before the period at the end the 
                following: ``during--
                    ``(A) the period of time in which such person is 
                traveling to and from a treatment facility; and
                    ``(B) the duration of the treatment episode for 
                such person''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(2) The Secretary may prescribe regulations to carry out 
        this subsection. Such regulations may include provisions--
                    ``(A) to limit the number of attendants that may 
                receive expenses of travel under paragraph (1) for a 
                single treatment episode of a person; and
                    ``(B) to require attendants to use certain travel 
                services.''.
    (b) Definition of Family Caregiver.--Section 1701 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs:
            ``(10) The term `caregiver services' means noninstitutional 
        extended care (as used in section 1701(6) of this title), 
        including homemaker and home health aid services.
            ``(11) The term `family caregiver' means an individual 
        who--
                    ``(A) is a member of the family (including parents, 
                spouses, children, siblings, step-family members, and 
                extended family members) of a disabled veteran;
                    ``(B) provides caregiver services to such veteran 
                for such disability; and
                    ``(C) may or may not reside with such veteran.''.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 111 of title 38, United States 
Code, is further amended--
            (1) in subsection (d)(3), by inserting ``(including a 
        family caregiver defined in section 1701)'' after 
        ``attendant''; and
            (2) in subsection (f), by inserting ``(including a family 
        caregiver defined in section 1701)'' after ``attendants''.
                                 <all>