[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 71 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 71

 Designating the week of March 4 through March 8, 2013, as ``Military 
                     and Veterans Caregiver Week''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2013

    Mr. Burr (for himself and Mr. Sanders) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Designating the week of March 4 through March 8, 2013, as ``Military 
                     and Veterans Caregiver Week''.

Whereas more than 2,400,000 members of the Armed Forces have been deployed to 
        Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001, 6,640 have been killed in 
        action, more than 50,000 have been wounded in action, and 1,715 have 
        undergone an amputation for a battle-related injury;
Whereas the signature wounds of members of the Armed Forces who have served in 
        Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New 
        Dawn are traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder;
Whereas, between January 1, 2000, and August 20, 2012, 253,330 cases of 
        traumatic brain injury were diagnosed among members of the Armed Forces, 
        and approximately 6,500 cases were classified as severe or penetrating;
Whereas studies have shown that the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder 
        among veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation 
        Iraqi Freedom ranges between 15 and 20 percent, and reports from the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs show that 29 percent of veterans who 
        served in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
        sought health care during fiscal years 2002 through 2012 had post-
        traumatic stress disorder;
Whereas many of the members of the Armed Forces and veterans who served in 
        Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom and suffered these 
        injuries require assistance from a family caregiver to complete 
        activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and feeding, or 
        instrumental activities such as transportation, meal preparation, and 
        health management;
Whereas as many as 1,000,000 spouses, parents, and children of veterans have 
        served or are currently serving as family caregivers to veterans who 
        served in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, 
        according to a study of military caregivers conducted by the RAND 
        Corporation;
Whereas section 1672 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
        2008 (Public Law 110-181; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note) introduced an expansion 
        of medical care available to family caregivers, and the Caregivers and 
        Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163) 
        facilitated a new program for access to health insurance, mental health 
        services, caregiver training, and respite care by family caregivers of 
        veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom;
Whereas the program provided under the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health 
        Services Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163) is limited to veterans 
        enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration, who sustained a serious 
        injury in the line of duty after September 11, 2001, and who require at 
        least 6 months of personal care services because of an inability to 
        perform activities of daily living or who require supervision due to 
        neurological impairment; and
Whereas the primary caregivers of members of the Armed Forces and veterans 
        injured in the line of duty make tremendous sacrifices of their own, 
        saving the United States millions of dollars in health care and 
        potential institutionalization costs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the week of March 4 through March 8, 2013, 
        as ``Military and Veterans Caregiver Week'';
            (2) honors caregivers of members of the Armed Forces and 
        veterans for their service and sacrifice to the United States; 
        and
            (3) calls upon the people of the United States--
                    (A) to observe the week with appropriate activities 
                and events; and
                    (B) to participate in activities that will show 
                support to military families and the sacrifices endured 
                by those families in service to the United States.
                                 <all>