[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5013 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5013

   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
   program to use amounts under the Veteran-Directed Care program to 
  provide care to veterans with acquired brain injury, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 16, 2026

  Mr. Cassidy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
   program to use amounts under the Veteran-Directed Care program to 
  provide care to veterans with acquired brain injury, 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 ``Veteran Acquired Brain Injury 
Caregiving Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON USE OF AMOUNTS UNDER VETERAN-DIRECTED CARE 
              PROGRAM TO PROVIDE CARE TO VETERANS WITH ACQUIRED BRAIN 
              INJURY.

    (a) In General.--Beginning not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
carry out a five-year pilot program under which an eligible veteran may 
use funds under the Veteran-Directed Care program to purchase care from 
an eligible veteran mission-driven nonprofit.
    (b) Locations.--The Secretary shall select not fewer than five 
medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs at which to carry 
out the pilot program under subsection (a).
    (c) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually thereafter 
until the termination of the pilot program under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report containing the following:
            (1) The number of eligible veterans receiving assistance 
        under the pilot program.
            (2) The number of eligible veteran mission-driven 
        nonprofits participating in the pilot program.
            (3) An evaluation of the clinical outcomes of veterans 
        participating in the pilot program, veteran satisfaction with 
        the pilot program, and other relevant data the Secretary 
        determines appropriate.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible veteran.--The term ``eligible veteran'' means 
        a veteran who--
                    (A) is clinically assessed to have an acquired 
                brain injury; and
                    (B) is an eligible veteran under section 1720L of 
                title 38, United States Code.
            (2) Eligible veteran mission-driven nonprofit.--The term 
        ``eligible veteran mission-driven nonprofit'' means an 
        organization--
                    (A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 
                Revenue Code of 1986 that is exempt from taxation under 
                section 501(a) of such Code; and
                    (B) that provides services provided under the 
                Veteran-Directed Care program for a veteran.
            (3) Veteran-directed care program.--The term ``Veteran-
        Directed Care program'' means the program under section 
        1720L(b) of title 38, United States Code.
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