[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3581 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3581
To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the family caregiver
program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to include services
related to mental health and neurological disorders, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2023
Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the family caregiver
program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to include services
related to mental health and neurological disorders, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Caregiver Outreach and Program
Enhancement Act'' or the ``COPE Act''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO AWARD GRANTS TO
ENTITIES TO IMPROVE PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT TO
FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF VETERANS.
(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1720K. Grants to provide mental health support to family
caregivers of veterans
``(a) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants to carry out,
coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance mental health counseling,
treatment, or support to the family caregivers of veterans
participating in the family caregiver program.
``(b) Application.--(1) To be eligible for a grant under this
section, an entity shall submit to the Secretary an application
therefor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Secretary may require.
``(2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include
the following:
``(A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant.
``(B) A description of the programs or efforts through
which the entity will meet the outcome measures developed by
the Secretary under subsection (g).
``(C) A description of how the entity will distribute grant
amounts equitably among areas with varying levels of
urbanization.
``(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the
unique needs of veterans residing in rural areas, American
Indian or Alaska Native veterans, elderly veterans, women
veterans, and veterans from other underserved communities.
``(c) Distribution.--The Secretary shall seek to ensure that grants
awarded under this section are equitably distributed among entities
located in States with varying levels of urbanization.
``(d) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize awarding grants
under this section that will serve the following areas:
``(1) Areas with high rates of veterans enrolled in the
family caregiver program.
``(2) Areas with high rates of--
``(A) suicide among veterans; or
``(B) referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
``(e) Required Activities.--Any grant awarded under this section
shall be used--
``(1) to expand existing programs, activities, and
services;
``(2) to establish new or additional programs, activities,
and services; or
``(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying
out paragraph (1) or (2).
``(f) Outcome Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall develop and
provide to each entity that receives a grant under this section written
guidance on the following:
``(A) Outcome measures.
``(B) Policies of the Department.
``(2) In developing outcome measures under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall consider the following goals:
``(A) Increasing the utilization of mental health services
among family caregivers of veterans participating in the family
caregiver program.
``(B) Reducing barriers to mental health services among
family caregivers of veterans participating in such program.
``(g) Tracking Requirements.--(1) The Secretary shall establish
appropriate tracking requirements with respect to the entities
receiving a grant under this section.
``(2) Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall submit
to Congress a report on such tracking requirements.
``(h) Performance Review.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) review the performance of each entity that receives a
grant under this section; and
``(2) make information regarding such performance publicly
available.
``(i) Remediation Plan.--(1) In the case of an entity that receives
a grant under this section and does not meet the outcome measures
developed by the Secretary under subsection (g), the Secretary shall
require the entity to submit to the Secretary a remediation plan under
which the entity shall describe how and when it plans to meet such
outcome measures.
``(2) The Secretary may not award a subsequent grant under this
section to an entity described in paragraph (1) unless the Secretary
approves the remediation plan submitted by the entity under such
paragraph.
``(j) Maximum Amount.--The amount of a grant awarded under this
section may not exceed 10 percent of amounts made available for grants
under this section for the fiscal year in which the grant is awarded.
``(k) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Any grant awarded under this
section shall be used to supplement and not supplant funding that is
otherwise available through the Department to provide mental health
support among family caregivers of veterans participating in the family
caregiver program.
``(l) Outreach to Family Caregivers.--The Secretary shall include,
in the outreach materials regularly mailed to a family caregiver who
participates in the family caregiver program, notice of mental health
support provided by recipients of grants under this section that are
located in the relevant Veterans Integrated Service Network.
``(m) Funding.--(1) Amounts for the activities of the Department
under this section shall be budgeted and appropriated through a
separate appropriation account.
``(2) In the budget justification materials submitted to Congress
in support of the budget of the Department for any fiscal year (as
submitted with the budget of the President under section 1105(a) of
title 31), the Secretary shall include a separate statement of the
amount requested to be appropriated for that fiscal year for the
account specified in paragraph (1).
``(n) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary, for each of fiscal years 2023 through
2025, $50,000,000 to carry out this section.
``(o) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The terms `caregiver' and `family caregiver' have the
meanings given those terms in section 1720G of this title.
``(2) The term `family caregiver program' means the program
of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers under section
1720G of this title.
``(3) The term `Veterans Crisis Line' means the toll-free
hotline for veterans established under section 1720F of this
title.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such subchapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``1720K. Grants to provide mental health support to family caregivers
of veterans.''.
SEC. 3. GAO REPORT ON MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a
report on the provision of mental health support to caregivers of
veterans.
(b) Contents.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall
include the following:
(1) An assessment of the need for mental health support
among caregivers participating in the caregiver programs.
(2) An assessment of options for mental health support in
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and in the
community for caregivers participating in the caregiver
programs.
(3) An assessment of the availability and accessibility of
mental health support in facilities of the Department and in
the community for caregivers participating in the caregiver
programs.
(4) An assessment of the awareness among caregivers of the
availability of mental health support in facilities of the
Department and in the community for caregivers participating in
the caregiver programs.
(5) An assessment of barriers to mental health support in
facilities of the Department and in the community for
caregivers participating in the caregiver programs.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Caregiver.--The term ``caregiver'' has the meaning
given that term in section 1720G of title 38, United States
Code.
(2) Caregiver programs.--The term ``caregiver programs''
means--
(A) the program of comprehensive assistance for
family caregivers under subsection (a) of section 1720G
of title 38, United States Code; and
(B) the program of support services for caregivers
under subsection (b) of such section.
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