118 HR 3581 IH: Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2023-05-22
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I
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3581
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.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act” or the “COPE Act”.
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:
“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.”.
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.