S.O.S. Veterans Caregivers Act

Bill: 115-hr-1618
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]
Introduced: 2017-03-17
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Family services

Government studies and investigations

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2017-03-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-03-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Support our Services to Veterans Caregivers Act or the S.O.S. Veterans Caregivers Act</strong></p> <p> This bill includes a veteran who has a serious illness or injury (currently, a serious injury) incurred or aggravated in the line of active duty on or after September 11, 2001, as an &quot;eligible veteran&quot; for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers of eligible veterans. </p> <p>As part of such program, the VA shall give each caregiver designated as the primary provider of personal care services for an eligible veteran, not less than annually, a multidimensional assessment to measure the burden and strain the caregiver has felt. </p> <p>The VA's annual report on such program shall include a description of the satisfaction experienced by caregivers and veterans with such program.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1618 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 17, 2017 Mr. Ruiz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify that caregivers for veterans with serious illnesses are eligible for assistance and support services provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Support our Services to Veterans Caregivers Act or the S.O.S. Veterans Caregivers Act . 2. Improvements to services provided to caregivers of veterans (a) Caregivers of veterans with serious illnesses Paragraph (2)(B) of section 1720G(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting illness or after serious . (b) Assessing caregiver and veteran burden and satisfaction (1) Survey Paragraph (3)(A)(ii) of such section is amended— (A) in subclause (IV), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (B) in subclause (V), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following new subclause: (VI) not less than annually, a multidimensional assessment to measure, in both objective and subjective terms, the burden and strain felt by the family caregiver. . (2) Reports Section 101(c)(2)(B) of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 ( 38 U.S.C. 1720G note) is amended— (A) in clause (i), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (B) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iii) a description of the satisfaction experienced by caregivers and veterans with respect to such program, including any findings regarding whether such program reduces the burden and strain felt by caregivers. . (c) Effective date The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to services provided after the date of the enactment of this Act.