TAKE CARE OF AMERICA'S VETERANS ACT

On 2026-07-16, Representative Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9) delivered a floor speech titled "TAKE CARE OF AMERICA'S VETERANS ACT" in the House.

TAKE CARE OF AMERICA'S VETERANS ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4548-H4613] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TAKE CARE OF AMERICA'S VETERANS ACT Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1423, I call up the bill (H.R. 9237) to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, and other Federal laws, to improve benefits for veterans and the administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1423, the amendment printed in part B of House Report 119-749 is adopted, and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 9237 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Take Care of America's Veterans Act''. (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. TITLE I--COMPENSATION Sec. 101. Major Richard Star Act. Sec. 102. Love Lives On Act. Sec. 103. Extension of increased dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses of veterans who die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Sec. 104. Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026. Sec. 105. Claims: prohibition on denial solely for certain reason; improved efficiency of adjudications and appeals. Sec. 106. Annual report on causes of death among veterans. Sec. 107. Plan for use of automation tools to process claims under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 108. Reforms relating to Department of Veterans Affairs disability ratings. Sec. 109. Improvements to temporary licensure requirements for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 110. Disability examinations: study on access in rural areas; review of training; review of inadequate or unnecessary examinations. Sec. 111. Improvements to processing and outreach regarding claims involving military sexual trauma. Sec. 112. Independent assessment of notices that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs sends to claimants. Sec. 113. Independent assessment of forms that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs sends to claimants. TITLE II--EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY Sec. 201. Vets Opportunity Act. Sec. 202. Improvements to process for making payments to automobile sellers for automobiles purchased for certain disabled veterans. Sec. 203. Monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for individuals who pursue summer programs of education solely through distance learning. Sec. 204. Clarification regarding inclusion of medically necessary automobile adaptations in Department of Veterans Affairs definition of ``medical services''. Sec. 205. Digital communications: Solid Start program; educational assistance. Sec. 206. Improvements to Transition Assistance Program and Skillbridge. Sec. 207. Transition Assistance Program: presentation in preseparation counseling to promote benefits available to veterans. Sec. 208. Elimination of requirement that on-campus educational and vocational counseling is provided by certain Department of Veterans Affairs employees. Sec. 209. Expansion of entitlement for payment for licensing or certification tests for veterans entitled to educational assistance. Sec. 210. Increase of amount of educational assistance paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for first year of a full- time program of apprenticeship or other on-job training. Sec. 211. Improving emerging technology opportunities for veterans. TITLE III--HEALTH CARE Sec. 301. Extension and modification of transportation grant program of Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 302. Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act. Sec. 303. Veterans TBI Breakthrough Exploration of Adaptive Care Opportunities Nationwide Act. Sec. 304. Department of Veterans Affairs assignment of traveling physicians to serve territories and possessions. Sec. 305. Inclusion of adaptive prostheses and terminal devices for sports and other recreational activities in medical services furnished to eligible veterans by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 306. Modifications to and reauthorization of Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 307. Reports on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Sec. 308. Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program to provide grants to mental health care providers for the provision of mental health care for veterans. [[Page H4549]] Sec. 309. Furnishing of certain health services to veterans in the Freely Associated States. Sec. 310. Modification of Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative; reporting on suicide by veterans and members of the Armed Forces. Sec. 311. Establishment of the Blast Overpressure Task Force of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 312. Extension of sharing of Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense Health Care Resources; resource sharing oversight and implementation plan. Sec. 313. Timely reporting of the death of a veteran. Sec. 314. Expansion of access by veterans to critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics under the Veterans Community Care Program. Sec. 315. Pilot platform for services for veterans; collection from veterans of information related to social determinants of health. Sec. 316. Improvements to Department of Veterans Affairs prosthetic and rehabilitative items and service. Sec. 317. Improvement of submission of medical documentation to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by community care providers. Sec. 318. Implementation of and report on efforts of Department of Veterans Affairs to improve health care appointment scheduling. Sec. 319. Pilot program on coordination of care between Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicare program. Sec. 320. Fisher House availability. Sec. 321. Agreements between medical facilities of Department of Veterans Affairs and rural medical facilities. Sec. 322. Study on quality of care difference between mental health and addiction therapy care provided by health care providers of Department of Veterans Affairs compared to non- Department providers. Sec. 323. Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 324. Research related to menopause, perimenopause, and mid-life women's health: report; plan. Sec. 325. Pilot program on provision of opioid rescue medications to veterans. Sec. 326. Establishment of Veterans Health Administration Policy Advisory Commission. Sec. 327. Access to health care. Sec. 328. Research on health conditions of descendants of toxic-exposed veterans. Sec. 329. Veterans Spinal Trauma Access to New Devices Act. Sec. 330. Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program to award grants for the provision of service dogs to veterans. Sec. 331. Authorization of major medical facility project of Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2027 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Sec. 332. Bowel and bladder care program of Department of Veterans Affairs. TITLE IV--ORGANIZATION Sec. 401. Authorization of appropriations to the Office of Information and Technology of the Department of Veterans Affairs for certain purposes. Sec. 402. Establishment of Under Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer. Sec. 403. Department of Veterans Affairs acquisition reform and cost assessment. Sec. 404. Improvement of telephone communication by Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 405. Advancing Department of Veterans Affairs emergency response to crisis. Sec. 406. Membership of Department of Veterans Affairs Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee. Sec. 407. Scheduling of appointments under the Veterans Community Care Program. TITLE V--MEMORIAL AFFAIRS Sec. 501. Expansion of eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs memorial headstone or marker for certain individuals. Sec. 502. Department of Veterans Affairs provision of additional burial benefits when an urn or commemorative plaque is furnished. Sec. 503. Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Program. TITLE VI--VETERANS' ASSURING CRITICAL CARE EXPANSIONS TO SUPPORT SERVICEMEMBERS Subtitle A--Improvement of Veterans Community Care Program Sec. 601. Codification of requirements for eligibility standards for access to community care from Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 602. Requirement that Secretary notify veterans of eligibility for care or denial of request for care under Veterans Community Care Program. Sec. 603. Consideration under Veterans Community Care Program of continuity of care and need for caregiver or attendant. Sec. 604. Discussion of telehealth options under Veterans Community Care Program. Sec. 605. Extension of deadline for submittal of claims by health care entities and providers under prompt payment standard. Sec. 606. Audit of representative sample of veterans receiving care and services under Veterans Community Care Program. Sec. 607. Information on wait time and drive time options for receipt of care by veterans. Sec. 608. Establishment of period during which a referral under Veterans Community Care Program remains valid. Sec. 609. Updates to contracting requirements under Veterans Community Care Program. Sec. 610. Publication of community care network sufficiency and payment waiver requests and approvals. Sec. 611. Requirements relating to quality of community care providers. Sec. 612. Provider training. Sec. 613. Oversight authority over community care. Subtitle B--Mental Health Treatment Programs Sec. 621. Veteran participation in certain mental health programs. Sec. 622. Access to mental healt

Referenced legislation: HCONRES14, HRES1423, S4744, HR9237