II 

Calendar No. 540 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2216 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to formally recognize caregivers 

of veterans, notify veterans and caregivers of clinical determinations 

relating to eligibility for caregiver programs, and temporarily extend 

benefits for veterans who are determined ineligible for the family caregiver program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 23, 2019 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. MCSALLY, Mr. KAINE, Ms. 

ROSEN, Mr. MORAN, Ms. COLLINS, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. 

JONES, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. ALEXANDER, 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. GARDNER, 

and Ms. HASSAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Reported by Mr. MORAN, with an amendment and an amendment to the title 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to formally 

recognize caregivers of veterans, notify veterans and 

caregivers of clinical determinations relating to eligibility 

for caregiver programs, and temporarily extend benefits 

for veterans who are determined ineligible for the family 

caregiver program, and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Transparency and Ef5 fective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers 

6 Act’’ or the ‘‘TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATION OF CARE8 GIVER PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VET9 ERANS AFFAIRS. 

10 (a) OFFICIAL DESIGNATION OF CAREGIVERS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

12 Affairs shall formally recognize all caregivers of vet13 erans by identifying any caregiver of a veteran in 

14 the health record of the veteran. 

15 (2) INCLUSION.—Caregivers recognized under 

16 paragraph (1) shall include— 

17 (A) family caregivers participating in the 

18 program of comprehensive assistance for family 

19 caregivers under subsection (a) of section 

20 1720G of title 38, United States Code; and 

21 (B) caregivers participating in the program 

22 of support services for caregivers under sub23 section (b) of such section. 

24 (b) NOTIFICATION LETTERS REGARDING CLINICAL

25 DETERMINATIONS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, using a 

2 standardized letter, shall notify veterans and care3 givers of veterans regarding any clinical determina4 tions made relating to claims under, or eligibility for, 

5 a caregiver program under subsection (a) or (b) of 

6 section 1720G of title 38, United States Code. 

7 (2) ELEMENTS.—Notifications under paragraph 

8 (1) shall include the elements required for notices of 

9 decisions under section 5104(b) of title 38, United 

10 States Code, to the extent that those elements apply 

11 to claims or eligibility determinations under para12 graph (1). 

13 (c) TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF BENEFITS FOR FAM14 ILY CAREGIVER PROGRAM.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Upon determining that a 

16 veteran who was receiving services under the pro17 gram of comprehensive assistance for family care18 givers under section 1720G(a) of title 38, United 

19 States Code, is no longer clinically eligible for pur20 poses of such program, the Secretary shall extend 

21 benefits under such program, including stipends 

22 under paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(V) of such section, for 

23 not less than 90 days after the date of notification 

24 under subsection (b) that the veteran is no longer 

25 clinically eligible. 


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1 (2) EXCLUSION.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply 

2 to the termination of caregiver benefits— 

3 (A) for cause, including— 

4 (i) noncompliance with requirements 

5 of the program; or 

6 (ii) fraud; 

7 (B) because the veteran died; or 

8 (C) upon request of the caregiver or the 

9 veteran. 

10 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

11 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transparency and Effec12 tive Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act’’ 

13 or the ‘‘TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act’’. 

14 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATION OF CAREGIVER 

15 PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

16 AFFAIRS. 

17 (a) OFFICIAL DESIGNATION OF CAREGIVERS.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af19 fairs, when determined feasible by the Secretary, shall 

20 formally recognize all caregivers of veterans by identi21 fying any caregiver of a veteran in the electronic 

22 health record of the veteran. 

23 (2) INCLUSION.—Caregivers recognized under 

24 paragraph (1) shall include— 


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1 (A) any family caregiver who is approved 

2 as a provider of personal care services for an eli3 gible veteran under the program of comprehen4 sive assistance for family caregivers under sub5 section (a) of section 1720G of title 38, United 

6 States Code; and 

7 (B) any caregiver of a covered veteran par8 ticipating in the program of support services for 

9 caregivers under subsection (b) of such section. 

10 (b) STANDARDIZED LETTERS REGARDING CERTAIN

11 DETERMINATIONS UNDER FAMILY CAREGIVER PRO12 GRAM.— 

13 Section 1720G(a) of title 38, United States Code, 

14 is amended by adding at the end the following new 

15 paragraph: 

16 ‘‘(12)(A) The Secretary shall notify the individuals de17 scribed in subparagraph (B) regarding decisions affecting 

18 the furnishing of assistance under this subsection using 

19 standardized letters, as the Secretary determines such noti20 fications and letters to be appropriate. 

21 ‘‘(B) The individuals described in this subparagraph 

22 shall include— 

23 ‘‘(i) an individual who submits an application 

24 for the program required by paragraph (1); 


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1 ‘‘(ii) an individual determined by the Secretary 

2 to be an eligible veteran pursuant to such an applica3 tion; and 

4 ‘‘(iii) a family caregiver of an eligible veteran 

5 who is— 

6 ‘‘(I) approved as a provider of personal care 

7 services under paragraph (6)(B); or 

8 ‘‘(II) designated as a primary provider of 

9 personal care services under paragraph (7)(A).’’. 

10 (c) TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF BENEFITS FOR FAMILY

11 CAREGIVER PROGRAM.—Upon determining that a veteran 

12 who was receiving services under the program of com13 prehensive assistance for family caregivers under section 

14 1720G(a) of title 38, United States Code, is no longer clini15 cally eligible for purposes of such program, the Secretary 

16 shall extend benefits under such program, including sti17 pends under paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(V) of such section, for a 

18 period of time determined by the Secretary if such an exten19 sion is determined appropriate by the Secretary. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to require the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to formally recognize caregivers of veterans, notify veterans and caregivers of clinical determinations relating to eligibility for the family 

caregiver program, and temporarily extend benefits for 

veterans who are determined ineligible for the family 

caregiver program, and for other purposes.’’. 


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kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Calendar No. 540 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2216 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to forgram, and for other purposes. determined ineligible for the family caregiver pro- temporarily extend benefits for veterans who are relating to eligibility for caregiver programs, and erans and caregivers of clinical determinations mally recognize caregivers of veterans, notify vetSEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

title 


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