I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3443 

To amend titles 38 and 37, United States Code, to expand eligibility for 

certain caregiver services provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

and to modify the Department of Defense special compensation program 

to make eligible members of the uniformed services with serious injuries 

or illnesses and to exempt payments of such compensation from taxation, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 30, 2013 

Ms. TITUS (for herself, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HONDA, Ms. SINEMA, 

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. DELANEY, and Ms. SHEA-PORTER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend titles 38 and 37, United States Code, to expand 

eligibility for certain caregiver services provided by the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and to modify the Department of Defense special compensation program to make 

eligible members of the uniformed services with serious 

injuries or illnesses and to exempt payments of such 

compensation from taxation, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Streamlining Support 

3 for Veterans and Military Caregivers Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR CERTAIN CARE5 GIVER SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE SEC6 RETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1720G of title 38, United 

8 States Code, is amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘family caregiver’’ each place it 

10 appears and inserting ‘‘caregiver’’; 

11 (2) by striking ‘‘family caregivers’’ each place it 

12 appears and inserting ‘‘caregivers’’; 

13 (3) in subsection (a)— 

14 (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 

15 ‘‘FAMILY’’; and 

16 (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘or 

17 illness’’ after ‘‘injury’’; and 

18 (4) in subsection (d)— 

19 (A) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); 

20 and 

21 (B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as 

22 paragraph (2). 

23 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1782(c)(2) 

24 of such title is amended by striking ‘‘family caregiver’’ and 

25 inserting ‘‘caregiver’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPE2 CIAL COMPENSATION TO MAKE ELIGIBLE 

3 MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES 

4 WITH SERIOUS INJURIES AND ILLNESS AND 

5 PROVIDE FOR TAX EXEMPTION OF PAY6 MENTS. 

7 (a) ELIGIBILITY.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 439 of title 37, 

9 United States Code, is amended— 

10 (A) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘cata11 strophic’’ and inserting ‘‘serious’’; and 

12 (B) in subsection (g)— 

13 (i) by striking ‘‘catastrophic’’ and in14 serting ‘‘serious’’; and 

15 (ii) in the subsection heading, by 

16 striking ‘‘CATASTROPHIC’’ and inserting 

17 ‘‘SERIOUS’’. 

18 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

19 (A) SECTION HEADING.—The section 

20 heading of such section is amended by striking 

21 ‘‘catastrophic’’ and inserting ‘‘serious’’. 

22 (B) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of 

23 sections at the beginning of chapter 7 of such 

24 title is amended by striking the item relating to 

25 section 439 and inserting the following: 


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‘‘439. Special compensation: members of the uniformed services with serious injuries or illnesses requiring assistance in everyday living.’’. 

1 (b) TAX EXEMPT STATUS OF PAYMENTS.—Sub2 section (a) of such section is amended by adding at the 

3 end the following new sentence: ‘‘Payments of compensa4 tion under this section shall be exempt from taxation.’’. 

5 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

6 this section shall apply with respect to payments of special 

7 compensation made after the date of the enactment of this 

8 Act. 

Æ 


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