II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1378 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to require an element in preseparation 

counseling for members of the Armed Forces on assistance and support 

services for caregivers of certain veterans through the Department of 

Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 19, 2017 

Mr. ROUNDS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to require an element 

in preseparation counseling for members of the Armed 

Forces on assistance and support services for caregivers 

of certain veterans through the Department of Veterans 

Affairs, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Caregiver Program In5 formation Improvement Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ELEMENT IN PRESEPARATION COUNSELING FOR 

2 MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ON AS3 SISTANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR 

4 CAREGIVERS OF CERTAIN VETERANS 

5 THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

6 AFFAIRS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1142(b) of title 10, 

8 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

9 following new paragraph: 

10 ‘‘(18) A description, developed in consultation 

11 with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, of the assist12 ance and support services for family caregivers of el13 igible veterans under the program conducted by the 

14 Secretary of Veterans Affairs pursuant to section 

15 1720G of title 38, including the veterans covered by 

16 the program, the caregivers eligible for assistance 

17 and support through the program, and the assist18 ance and support available through the program.’’. 

19 (b) PARTICIPATION OF POTENTIAL CAREGIVERS IN

20 APPROPRIATE PRESEPARATION COUNSELING.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with proce22 dures established by the Secretary of Defense, each 

23 Secretary of a military department shall take appro24 priate actions to achieve the following: 

25 (A) To determine whether each member of 

26 the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of such 


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1 Secretary who is undergoing preseparation 

2 counseling pursuant to section 1142 of title 10, 

3 United States Code (as amended by subsection 

4 (a)), and who may require caregiver services 

5 after separation from the Armed Forces has 

6 identified an individual to provide such services 

7 after the member’s separation. 

8 (B) In the case of a member described in 

9 subparagraph (A) who has identified an indi10 vidual to provide caregiver services after the 

11 member’s separation, at the election of the 

12 member, to permit such individual to partici13 pate in appropriate sessions of the member’s 

14 preseparation counseling in order to inform 

15 such individual of— 

16 (i) the assistance and support services 

17 available to caregivers of members after 

18 separation from the Armed Forces; and 

19 (ii) the manner in which the member’s 

20 transition to civilian life after separation 

21 may likely affect such individual as a care22 giver. 

23 (2) CAREGIVERS.—For purposes of this sub24 section, individuals who provide caregiver services 

25 refers to individuals (including a spouse, partner, 


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1 parent, sibling, adult child, other relative, or friend) 

2 who provide physical or emotional assistance to 

3 former members of the Armed Forces during and 

4 after their transition from military life to civilian life 

5 following separation from the Armed Forces. 

6 (3) DEADLINE FOR COMMENCEMENT.—Each 

7 Secretary of a miliary department shall commence 

8 the actions required pursuant to this subsection by 

9 not later than 180 days after the date of the enact10 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


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