HouseH.R. 9475119th Congress
National Task Force on Caregiving Youth of Veterans Act.
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9475 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9475
To establish the National Task Force on Caregiving Youth.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 25, 2026
Mr. McGarvey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on
Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the National Task Force on Caregiving Youth.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Task Force on Caregiving
Youth of Veterans Act.''
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Caregiving youths provide unpaid care to veterans and
members of the Armed Forces with disabilities, illnesses, or
injuries.
(2) The care provided by youths to veterans and members of
the Armed Forces often includes physical assistance, emotional
support, household management, and advocacy, which may
adversely affect their education, long term mental and physical
health, and economic opportunities.
(3) Research indicates that millions of caregiving youths
across the United States who provide care to members of the
Armed Forces and veterans face increased risks of academic
disruption, social isolation, and long-term health challenges.
(4) Caregiving youths who provide care to members of the
Armed Forces and veterans contribute significantly to the well-
being of members of the Armed Forces and veterans and their
families, reducing institutional care needs and strengthening
family cohesion.
(5) Existing Federal programs do not adequately identify or
support caregiving youths who provide care for member of the
Armed Forces and veterans, and there is no coordinated strategy
across agencies to address their needs.
(6) A national task force is necessary to assess the scope
of caregiving youths providing care for members of the Armed
Forces and veterans, support ongoing research, and develop
policy and programmatic solutions to ensure such youths receive
appropriate recognition and assistance.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON CAREGIVING YOUTH.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish the National Task Force on Caregiving Youth (referred to in
this section as the ``Task Force'').
(b) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of not fewer than
18 members, as follows:
(1) The Department of Veterans Affairs, including a
representative of each of the following designated by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs:
(A) The Veteran Benefits Administration.
(B) The National Cemetery Administration.
(C) The Veteran Health Administration.
(D) The Caregiver Support Program.
(E) The Veterans Experience Office.
(2) The Department of Health and Human Services, including
a representative of each of the following (or successor office)
designated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services:
(A) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
(B) The Administration for Community Living.
(C) The Indian Health Service.
(D) The Administration for Children and Families.
(3) The Department of Education, including a representative
of each of the following (or successor office) designated by
the Secretary of Education:
(A) The Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education Program.
(B) The Office of Special Education Programs.
(C) The Office of Student Support and
Accountability.
(4) The Department of Defense, including a representative
of each of the following (or successor office) designated by
the Secretary of Defense:
(A) The Department of Defense Education Activity.
(B) The Office of Military Community and Family
Policy.
(C) The Defense Health Agency.
(5) One representative from each of three non-profit
organizations that specialize in military family support,
caregiving youth initiatives, mental health advocacy, or
educational access for caregivers designated by the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs.
(c) Chairperson.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall designate
the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health or designee to serve
as Chairperson of the Task Force.
(d) Meetings.--
(1) In general.--The Task Force shall meet at least once
each calendar year quarter.
(2) Quorum.--Two-thirds of the members of the Task Force
shall constitute a quorum.
(e) Duties.--The duties of the Task Force include the following:
(1) Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the
Task Force, to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally
funded research and development center to conduct a national
study on caregiving youth. Such study, which shall be completed
not later than two years after the date of the enactment of
this Act, shall include the following:
(A) An analysis of the prevalence, demographics,
and socio-economic impacts of caregiving youth.
(B) Short- and long-term effects on the education,
employment, safety, and physical and mental health
caregiving youth.
(C) Geographic disparities in access of caregiving
youth to support services.
(D) Barriers to Federal, State, and local
assistance programs for caregiving youth.
(E) An identification of gaps in services available
for caregiving youth.
(F) An identification of the benefits of caregiving
for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and
caregiving youth.
(2) Not later than 30 days after the establishment of the
Task Force, to consult directly with stakeholders including--
(A) caregivers and survivors of veterans and
members of the Armed Forces;
(B) representatives of nonprofit organizations that
specialize in military family support, caregiving youth
initiatives, mental health advocacy, or educational
access for caregivers; and
(C) relevant Federal advisory commissions.
(3) Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the
Task Force, to develop targeted policy recommendations to
Congress, and Federal, State, and local agencies on how the
Federal departments represented on the Task Force pursuant to
subsection (b) can expand program support, resources, and
accommodation for caregiving youths who provide care for
members of the Armed Forces and veterans, including--
(A) school-based resources and scholarship
programs;
(B) improved mental health support by integrating
trauma-informed care for caregiving youth within
frameworks of such departments;
(C) creating support programs within each such
department; and
(D) establishing financial assistance models.
(4) To explore the feasibility and advisability of the
development of a standardized database to--
(A) track the demographics and services used by
caregiving youths who provide care for members of the
Armed Forces and veterans;
(B) develop joint initiatives between relevant
Federal agencies to provide comprehensive support; and
(C) align Federal programs with State and local
resources to ensure no caregiving youth is overlooked.
(5) To formalize nonprofit engagement by establishing a
Caregiving Youth Advisory Council that--
(A) is composed of advocates for caregivers;
(B) hosts quarterly roundtables to incorporate
front-line perspectives; and
(C) provides recommendations to relevant Federal
agencies regarding the allocation and use of Federal
grants to support non-profit organizations by expanding
direct service programs for caregiving youth.
(6) To conduct a survey of all existing efforts of Federal
agencies to support caregiving youth, including best practices
and past and ongoing efforts to collect data, research, and
other relevant information.
(f) Authority To Enter Into Agreements.--The Task Force may enter
into agreements with entities, including academic institutions,
research entities, and nonprofit organizations, to assist in conducting
the national study and developing policy recommendations.
(g) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall submit to
Congress an initial report that includes a description of the
research methodology and preliminary findings of the Task Force
related to the duties of the Task Force, including stakeholder
consultation, national study design, and early policy
considerations.
(2) Annual reports.--Not later than one year after the date
of the submission of the initial report under paragraph (1),
and annually thereafter through the termination date specified
under subsection (h), the Task Force shall submit to Congress a
report that describes the progress of the Task Force on such
duties, including updates, policy recommendations, Federal
collaboration efforts, nonprofit engagement, and survey
results.
(h) Termination.--The Task Force shall terminate on the day that is
five years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(i) Caregiving Youth Defined.--In this section, the term
``caregiving youth'' means an individual under the age of 26--
(1) who provides unpaid care, including physical
assistance, emotional support, household management, medication
oversight, or advocacy, to a veteran or member of the Armed
Forces with a disability, chronic illness, or injury; and
(2) without regard to whether the individual or the parent
of the individual qualifies for the Program of Comprehensive
Assistance for Family Caregivers of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
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