I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2077 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Veteran Family 
Resource Program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2025 
Ms. PEREZ (for herself and Mr. JAMES) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 
the Veteran Family Resource Program, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping Heroes Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERAN FAMILY RESOURCE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall, acting through the Under Secretary for 
Health and the Office of Patient Care Services and 
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Care Management and Social Work Services of the 
Veterans Health Administration, establish a pro-
gram— 
(A) to enhance the resilience, health, and 
well-being of veterans by addressing social de-
terminants of health challenges experienced in 
their family units through person-centered clin-
ical integrations, connections to benefits fur-
nished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
and community resource engagement; and 
(B) to ensure veterans and their families 
have access to a continuum of services and re-
sources needed to support wellness within their 
family units as they define the family units. 
(2) DESIGNATION.—The program established 
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be known as the 
‘‘Veteran Family Resource Program’’ (in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘Program’’). 
(b) FAMILY COORDINATORS AND STAFFING.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out the Program by, not later than the date that is 
five years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act— 
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(A) appointing at least one family coordi-
nator in each Veterans Integrated Service Net-
work; and 
(B) ensuring adequate staffing and re-
sources to ensure family coordinators are able 
to carry out their functions and duties under 
the Program. 
(2) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of a family co-
ordinator under paragraph (1) are as follows: 
(A) To serve at medical centers of the De-
partment as point persons who understand and 
have a good working knowledge of— 
(i) all resources that families, care-
givers, and survivors may be eligible for 
under provisions of law administered by 
the Secretary; and 
(ii) community resources available to 
such families, caregivers, and survivors 
when they have needs that are not met by 
the resources described in clause (i). 
(B) To help veterans, their families, their 
caregivers, and their survivors access and navi-
gate the public and private resources described 
in subparagraph (A). 
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(3) DUTIES.—Each family coordinator ap-
pointed under paragraph (1) shall, to the extent 
practicable— 
(A) assess the needs of veterans and the 
family members of veterans using evidence- 
based strategies; 
(B) build positive relationships with vet-
erans and such family members; 
(C) refer veterans and such family mem-
bers to local, State, Federal, and non-Depart-
ment resources to support the overall health, 
well-being, and treatment goals of such vet-
erans; and 
(D) develop and maintain a list of— 
(i) supportive services offered by the 
Department; and 
(ii) supportive services offered by non- 
Department providers; 
(c) GOALS AND METRICS.— 
(1) GOALS.—The goals of the Program shall be 
as follows: 
(A) To connect veterans to family re-
sources to increase their well-being and resil-
iency. 
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(B) To develop internal partnerships to im-
prove health care furnished by the Department. 
(C) To capture and maintain data to en-
hance understanding of process improvement 
opportunities and impact. 
(D) To function as a community liaison to 
bolster existing partnerships and conduct due 
diligence to form new partnerships. 
(2) METRICS.—The Secretary shall establish 
metrics for assessment of the Program, including 
metrics relating to the following: 
(A) Department referrals into the Pro-
gram. 
(B) Non-Department referrals into the 
Program. 
(C) Health factors. 
(D) Veteran and staff satisfaction. 
(d) EXPANSION OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary may 
expand the Program to additional medical centers of the 
Department or otherwise expand the Program to carry out 
the purposes specified in subsection (a)(1) as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than two years 
after the commencement of the Program, the Sec-
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retary shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report on the progress of the Program. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include— 
(A) the number of veterans and children 
who received supportive services under the Pro-
gram; 
(B) the demographic data of veterans and 
family members in receipt of supportive services 
under the Program, including— 
(i) the relationship to the veteran; 
(ii) age; 
(iii) race; 
(iv) ethnicity; 
(v) gender; 
(vi) disability; and 
(vii) English proficiency and whether 
a language other than English is spoken at 
home; 
(C) a summary of the supportive services 
carried out under the Program and the costs to 
the Department of such supportive services; and 
(D) an assessment, measured by a survey 
of participants, of whether, and how, participa-
tion in the Program— 
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(i) resulted in positive outcomes for 
veterans and children; and 
(ii) contributed to the overall health, 
well-being, and treatment goals of the vet-
eran. 
(3) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS 
DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appro-
priate committees of Congress’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
and the Subcommittee on Military Construc-
tion, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of 
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; 
and 
(B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
and the Subcommittee on Military Construc-
tion, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives. 
(f) SUPPORTIVE SERVICES DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘supportive services’’ means services that 
address the social, emotional, and mental health, career- 
readiness, and other needs of children, including— 
(1) wellness services, including mental, emo-
tional, behavioral, and physical health; 
(2) peer-support programs for children; and 
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(3) any other services or activities the Secretary 
considers appropriate to support the needs of chil-
dren. 
SEC. 3. SURVEY OF DISABLED VETERANS AND THEIR FAMI-
LIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently 
than once every five years thereafter as the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs determines appropriate, the Secretary 
shall conduct a survey of disabled veterans and their fami-
lies to identify and better understand the needs of such 
disabled veterans and their families. 
(b) CONTENT.—The survey required under sub-
section (a) shall include questions with respect to— 
(1) the types and quality of support disabled 
veterans receive for their children; and 
(2) the unmet needs of such children. 
SEC. 4. NONDISCRIMINATION. 
The following provisions of law shall apply to any pro-
gram or activity that receives funds provided under this 
Act: 
(1) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 
1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.). 
(2) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 
U.S.C. 2000d et seq.). 
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(3) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973 (29 U.S.C. 794). 
(4) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.). 
(5) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 
U.S.C. 6101 et seq.). 
(6) Any other Federal law prohibiting discrimi-
nation under an applicable program or activity re-
ceiving Federal financial assistance. 
Æ 
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