Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2015
Latest action · Jun 24, 2015 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-186.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 23, 2015
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2015
Expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001).
Expands services to caregivers of veterans under such program to include child care services, financial planning services, and legal services.
Terminates the support program for caregivers of covered veterans on October 1, 2020, except that any caregiver activities carried out on September 30, 2020, shall be continued on and after October 1, 2020.
Authorizes the transfer of entitlement to post 9/11 education assistance to family members by veterans who are retired for a physical disability or who are seriously injured veterans in need of family caregiver services, without regard to length-of-service requirements.
Authorizes the VA Secretary to pay monthly special compensation to seriously injured or ill veterans in need of personal care services and to their caregivers.
Authorizes flexible work schedules or telework for federal employees who are caregivers of veterans.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to designate a veteran participating in the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers as an adult with a special need for purposes of the lifespan respite care program.
Establishes in the executive branch an interagency working group to review and report on policies relating to the caregivers of veterans and members of the Armed Forces.
Directs the Secretary to provide for studies on members of the Armed Forces who commenced service after September 11, 2001, and veterans who have incurred a serious injury or illness, including a mental health injury, and their caregivers.
Cosponsors 21
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 23, 2015 to Nov 15, 2016; 5 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Original | Apr 23, 2015 |
| D-MT | Jon Tester | Original | Apr 23, 2015 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Original | Apr 23, 2015 |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Original | Apr 23, 2015 |
| R-ME | Susan M. Collins | Original | Apr 23, 2015 |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Apr 28, 2015 | |
| D-WI | Tammy Baldwin | May 20, 2015 | |
| I-ME | Angus S. King Jr. | May 21, 2015 | |
| D-CA | Barbara Boxer | Jul 7, 2015 | |
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Jul 9, 2015 | |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Jul 9, 2015 | |
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Jul 30, 2015 | |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Jul 30, 2015 | |
| D-MI | Gary C. Peters | Aug 4, 2015 | |
| D-VA | Mark R. Warner | Aug 4, 2015 | |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | Sep 21, 2015 | |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Dec 8, 2015 | |
| D-WA | Maria Cantwell | Sep 22, 2016 | |
| D-MN | Al Franken | Sep 27, 2016 | |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Sep 27, 2016 | |
| D-MD | Benjamin L. Cardin | Nov 15, 2016 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Referred Apr 23, 2015Hearings Jun 24, 2015 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 24, 2015Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-186.
- Apr 23, 2015Introduced in Senate
- Apr 23, 2015Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Printed hearings 2
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 114-186 | HEARING ON PENDING HEALTH CARE AND BENEFITS LEGISLATION138 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Jun 24, 2015 |
| S. Hrg. 114-201 | PENDING HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION78 pages | Veterans' Affairs Committee | Jun 3, 2015 |
Related bills 3
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 591 | Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017 | Reintroduced Bill | Jun 14, 2017 |
| HR 1969 | Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2015 | Related bill | Aug 13, 2015 |
| HR 6062 | SERVICE Act | Related bill | Oct 19, 2016 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to expand eligibility for the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to expand benefits available to participants under such program, to enhance special compensation for members of the uniformed services who require assistance in everyday life, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2015
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Child care and development
- Congressional oversight
- Disability and paralysis
- Employee leave
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Financial services and investments
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government studies and investigations
- Lawyers and legal services
- Mental health
- Military personnel and dependents
- Neurological disorders
- Student aid and college costs
- Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
- Veterans' medical care
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 23, 2015Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
