1.Lodging and subsistence for
family caregivers
(a)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 caregiverSection 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)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
.