38 U.S.C. § 1720K (VETERANS’ BENEFITS)
§ 1720K. Grants or contracts to provide mental health support to family caregivers of veterans
(a) Authority.—
The Secretary may award grants or contracts to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise enhance mental health counseling, treatment, or support to the family caregivers of veterans participating in the family caregiver program.
(b) Application.—
(1) To be eligible for a grant or contract under this section, an entity shall submit to the Secretary an application therefor at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant or contract.
(B) A description of the programs or efforts through which the entity will meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary under subsection (f).
(C) A description of how the entity will distribute grant or contract amounts equitably among areas with varying levels of urbanization.
(D) A plan for how the grant or contract will be used to meet the unique needs of veterans residing in rural areas, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native veterans, elderly veterans, women veterans, and veterans from other underserved communities.
(c) Distribution.—
The Secretary shall seek to ensure that grants and contracts awarded under this section are equitably distributed among entities located in States with varying levels of urbanization.
(d) Priority.—
The Secretary shall prioritize awarding grants or contracts under this section that will serve the following areas:
(1) Areas with high rates of veterans enrolled in the family caregiver program.
(2) Areas with high rates of—
(A) suicide among veterans; or
(B) referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
(e) Required Activities.—
Any grant or contract awarded under this section shall be used—
(1) to expand existing programs, activities, and services;
(2) to establish new or additional programs, activities, and services; or
(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying out paragraph (1) or (2).
(f) Outcome Measures.—
(1) The Secretary shall develop and provide to each entity that receives a grant or contract under this section written guidance on the following:
(A) Outcome measures.
(B) Policies of the Department.
(2) In developing outcome measures under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider the following goals:
(A) Increasing the utilization of mental health services among family caregivers of veterans participating in the family caregiver program.
(B) Reducing barriers to mental health services among family caregivers of veterans participating in such program.
(g) Tracking Requirements.—
(1) The Secretary shall establish appropriate tracking requirements with respect to the entities receiving a grant or contract under this section.
(2) Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on such tracking requirements.
(h) Performance Review.—
The Secretary shall—
(1) review the performance of each entity that receives a grant or contract under this section; and
(2) make information regarding such performance publicly available.
(i) Remediation Plan.—
(1) In the case of an entity that receives a grant or contract under this section and does not meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary under subsection (f), the Secretary shall require the entity to submit to the Secretary a remediation plan under which the entity shall describe how and when it plans to meet such outcome measures.
(2) The Secretary may not award a subsequent grant or contract under this section to an entity described in paragraph (1) unless the Secretary approves the remediation plan submitted by the entity under such paragraph.
(j) Maximum Amount.—
The amount of a grant or contract awarded under this section may not exceed 10 percent of amounts made available for grants or contracts under this section for the fiscal year in which the grant or contract is awarded.
(k) Supplement, Not Supplant.—
Any grant or contract awarded under this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant funding that is otherwise available through the Department to provide mental health support among family caregivers of veterans participating in the family caregiver program.
(l) Outreach to Family Caregivers.—
The Secretary shall include, in the outreach materials regularly provided to a family caregiver who participates in the family caregiver program, notice of mental health support provided by recipients of grants or contracts under this section that are located in the relevant Veterans Integrated Service Network.
(m) Funding.—
(1) Amounts for the activities of the Department under this section shall be budgeted and appropriated through a separate appropriation account.
(2) In the budget justification materials submitted to Congress in support of the budget of the Department for any fiscal year (as submitted with the budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31), the Secretary shall include a separate statement of the amount requested to be appropriated for that fiscal year for the account specified in paragraph (1).
(n) Authorization of Appropriations.—
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary, for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026, $10,000,000 to carry out this section.
(o) Definitions.—
In this section:
(1) The terms “caregiver” and “family caregiver” have the meanings given those terms in section 1720G of this title.
(2) The term “family caregiver program” means the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers under section 1720G of this title.
(3) The term “Veterans Crisis Line” means the toll-free hotline for veterans established under section 1720F of this title.
(Added Pub. L. 118–210, title I, § 122, Jan. 2, 2025, 138 Stat. 2724.)