II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1648 

To reinstate and compensate family caregivers who were improperly removed 

from the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

or whose benefits were reduced and to ensure all veteran caregivers 

receive the support and assistance to which they are eligible in a fair 

and consistent manner, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 23 (legislative day, MAY 22), 2019 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. TESTER, and Mrs. MURRAY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To reinstate and compensate family caregivers who were 

improperly removed from the family caregiver program 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs or whose benefits 

were reduced and to ensure all veteran caregivers receive 

the support and assistance to which they are eligible 

in a fair and consistent manner, 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 ‘‘Supporting Veteran 

5 Caregivers Act of 2019’’. 


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•S 1648 IS

1 SEC. 2. REINSTATEMENT AND RESTORATION OF BENEFITS 

2 FOR CERTAIN FAMILY CAREGIVERS UNDER 

3 FAMILY CAREGIVER PROGRAM OF DEPART4 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

5 (a) REEVALUATION OF BENEFITS.—The Secretary of 

6 Veterans Affairs shall reevaluate the cases of all family 

7 caregivers who were removed from the program or whose 

8 benefits under the program were reduced on the basis of 

9 clinical eligibility on or after January 1, 2015, to ensure 

10 that such removal or reduction was consistent with eligi11 bility criteria for the program under section 1720G(a) of 

12 title 38, United States Code. 

13 (b) REINSTATEMENT AND REVERSAL OF BENEFIT

14 REDUCTION.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 

15 the enactment of this Act, on the basis of the reevaluation 

16 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 

17 (1) offer reinstatement in the program to any 

18 family caregiver who was found to be improperly re19 moved from the program; and 

20 (2) reverse any reduction in benefits for a fam21 ily caregiver under the program that was found to 

22 be improper. 

23 (c) COMPENSATION FOR CAREGIVERS WRONGFULLY

24 DISCHARGED OR DOWNGRADED.—Not later than 180 

25 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec26 retary shall— 


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•S 1648 IS

1 (1) compensate any family caregiver who was 

2 reinstated into the program under subsection (b)(1) 

3 in an amount equal to the amount of the stipends 

4 that the family caregiver would have received during 

5 the period beginning on the removal of the family 

6 caregiver from the program and ending on the rein7 statement of the family caregiver in the program 

8 under such subsection; and 

9 (2) compensate any family caregiver whose ben10 efits were restored under subsection (b)(2) in an 

11 amount equal to the difference between the amount 

12 of the stipends that the family caregiver received 

13 during the period beginning on the reduction of such 

14 benefits and ending on the reversal of such reduction 

15 under such subsection. 

16 (d) REPORT.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

18 completing the reevaluations under subsection (a), 

19 the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report de20 tailing the results of those reevaluations, including 

21 any findings of inconsistencies in the administration 

22 of the program across facilities of the Department of 

23 Veterans Affairs. 

24 (2) PLAN.—The Secretary shall include in the 

25 report under paragraph (1) a plan to ensure that inVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:11 Jun 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1648.IS S1648

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•S 1648 IS

1 consistencies in the administration of the program 

2 are corrected. 

3 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) FAMILY CAREGIVER.—The term ‘‘family 

5 caregiver’’ has the meaning given that term in sec6 tion 1720G(d) of title 38, United States Code. 

7 (2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 

8 the program of comprehensive assistance for family 

9 caregivers of eligible veterans under section 

10 1720G(a) of such title. 

11 (3) STIPEND.—The term ‘‘stipend’’ means the 

12 monthly personal caregiver stipend under section 

13 1720G(a)(3)(A)(ii)(V) of such title. 

Æ 


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