[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 139 (Wednesday, August 5, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4944-S4945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. King, and Mr. Sullivan):
  S. 4460. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
waive certain eligibility requirements for a veteran to receive per 
diem payments for domiciliary care at a State home, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the State 
Veterans Homes Domiciliary Care Flexibility Act. This bill would 
address a current gap in care for veterans in Maine living with early-
stage dementia. Specifically, it would ensure that the VA can waive 
certain eligibility requirements to allow veterans with early-stage 
dementia to be cared for in State veterans' homes when it is in the 
best interest of the veteran.
  In Maine, we lead the way in caring for our veterans. For more than 
40 years, Maine Veterans' Homes has been a vital part of our State's 
commitment to our heroes. My father, Donald Collins, a decorated World 
War II veteran, was cared for by the Veterans' Home in Caribou at the 
end of his life, so I know firsthand the compassion and care that Maine 
Veterans' Homes provide. In the land of the free, Maine Veterans' Homes 
help ensure that there will always be a home for the brave when they 
need care.
  As chairman of the Senate Aging Committee and representing the oldest 
State by median age in the country, I have championed policies to help 
individuals living with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, as well 
as America's hidden heroes--our military and veteran caregivers. I 
cofounded the Senate Alzheimer's Task Force in recognition of the 
devastating impact

[[Page S4945]]

that disease has on individuals and families.
  Our Nation owes America's veterans our deepest gratitude. We must 
honor our commitment to veterans by continuing to support their needs, 
including the needs of veterans who are living with early-stage 
dementia.
  The State Veterans Homes Domiciliary Care Flexibility Act would 
require VA to implement a waiver authority, allowing the VA to grant 
domiciliary care per diem payments for veterans who meet at least half 
of the VA's current eligibility requirements and if such a waiver would 
be in that veterans' best interest. This will provide the flexibility 
to ensure this vulnerable group of veterans do not fall through the 
cracks and that VA can help address the growing needs for assistance 
for these patients.
  Mr. President, this legislation has the support of Melissa Jackson, 
the president of the National Association of State Veterans Homes, as 
well as Kelley Kash, CEO of Maine Veterans' Homes, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to join me in honoring and supporting some of our Nation's 
most vulnerable veterans by supporting its passage.

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