I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2738 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide travel expenses for family 
caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2009 
Mr. TEAGUE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide travel 
expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to 
medical treatment facilities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. LODGING AND SUBSISTENCE FOR FAMILY 
CAREGIVERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 111(e) of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘When any’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) 
When any’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), as designated by para-
graph (1) of this subsection— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘(other than an employee 
of the Department)’’ and inserting ‘‘, including 
a family caregiver (as defined in section 
1701(11)) and excluding an employee of the 
Department,’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘(including lodging and 
subsistence)’’ after ‘‘expenses of travel’’; and 
(C) by inserting before the period at the 
end the following: ‘‘during— 
‘‘(A) the period of time in which such per-
son is traveling to and from a treatment facil-
ity; and 
‘‘(B) the duration of the treatment episode 
for such person’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) The Secretary may prescribe regulations to 
carry out this subsection. Such regulations may in-
clude provisions— 
‘‘(A) to limit the number of attendants 
that may receive expenses of travel under para-
graph (1) for a single treatment episode of a 
person; and 
‘‘(B) to require attendants to use certain 
travel services.’’. 
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(b) DEFINITION OF FAMILY CAREGIVER.—Section 
1701 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(10) The term ‘caregiver services’ means non-
institutional extended care (as used in section 
1701(6) of this title), including homemaker and 
home health aid services. 
‘‘(11) The term ‘family caregiver’ means an in-
dividual who— 
‘‘(A) is a member of the family (including 
parents, spouses, children, siblings, step-family 
members, and extended family members) of a 
disabled veteran; 
‘‘(B) provides caregiver services to such 
veteran for such disability; and 
‘‘(C) may or may not reside with such vet-
eran.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 111 of 
title 38, United States Code, is further amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)(3), by inserting ‘‘(includ-
ing a family caregiver defined in section 1701)’’ 
after ‘‘attendant’’; and 
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(2) in subsection (f), by inserting ‘‘(including a 
family caregiver defined in section 1701)’’ after ‘‘at-
tendants’’. 
Æ 
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