A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.3372 | Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike (R-IN)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill addresses Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and care for covered children. Under the bill, a covered child is an individual, regardless of age or marital status, who is the natural child of a Vietnam veteran or a veteran of specified service in Korea or Thailand who was conceived after the date on which the veteran entered service in Vietnam, Korea, or Thailand.
The bill requires the VA to establish an advisory council on health care and benefits for covered children. Additionally, the VA must establish care and coordination teams for covered children. At least every 180 days, the teams must conduct outreach to ensure the continued care of the children and assist with any necessary changes in care.
The VA must report to Congress a list of conditions that will trigger outreach to covered children, and contact such children as soon as practicable after the identification of a condition.
The bill requires the VA to provide a covered child with health care and benefits for the duration of the child's life, regardless of the death of a parent preceding the death of the child.
The Veterans Benefits Administration and the Veterans Health Administration must enter into a memorandum of understanding to better assist covered children and establish conditions to be included in the report required by this bill.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen benefits for 
  children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS AND 
              CERTAIN OTHER VETERANS.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 1831 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
        (4) and (5), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
        paragraphs:
            ``(2) The term `covered child' means a child who is 
        eligible for health care and benefits under this chapter.
            ``(3) The term `covered veteran' means an individual whose 
        children are eligible for health care and benefits under this 
        chapter.''.
    (b) In General.--Subchapter IV of chapter 18 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
sections:
``Sec. 1835. Advisory council
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish an advisory 
council on health care and benefits for covered children.
    ``(b) Duties.--The advisory council established under subsection 
(a) shall solicit feedback from covered children and covered veterans 
on the health care and benefits provided under this chapter and 
communicate such feedback to the Secretary.
``Sec. 1836. Care and coordination teams
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish care and 
coordination teams for covered children.
    ``(b) Outreach.--A care and coordination team established under 
subsection (a) shall contact each covered child--
            ``(1) not less frequently than once every 180 days, to 
        ensure the continued care of the child and assist with any 
        changes in care needed due to a changed situation of the child; 
        and
            ``(2) as soon as practicable after the identification of a 
        condition listed in the report required by subsection (c).
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs of the House of Representatives a report setting forth a list 
of conditions that will trigger outreach to covered children under 
subsection (b)(2).
``Sec. 1837. Duration of health care and benefits provided
    ``The Secretary shall provide a covered child with health care and 
benefits under this chapter--
            ``(1) for the duration of the life of the child; and
            ``(2) notwithstanding any death of a parent of the child 
        that precedes the death of the child.''.
    (c) Memorandum of Understanding.--Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Benefits of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Under Secretary for Health 
of the Department shall enter into a memorandum of understanding--
            (1) to better assist covered children (as defined in 
        section 1831 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by 
        subsection (a)); and
            (2) to establish conditions to be included in the report 
        required by section 1836(c) of title 38, United States Code, as 
        added by subsection (b).
    (d) Implementation.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish--
            (1) the advisory council required under section 1835 of 
        title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (b); and
            (2) the care and coordination teams required under section 
        1836 of such title, as so added.
    (e) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 18 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new items:

``1835. Advisory council.
``1836. Care and coordination teams.
``1837. Duration of health care and benefits provided.''.
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