This bill addresses the administration of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and benefits for homeless veterans during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
This bill has 83 titles and is related to 100 other bills. The final wording has not been published yet. However; Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, and hypothyroidism were added to the list of Agent Orange presumptives.
This bill implements programs, policies, and reports related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition assistance, suicide care, mental health education and treatment, health care, and women veteran care.
Requires the VA to report on the implementation of its whole health approach to health care. The report must include an analysis of the accessibility and availability of a variety of services, including hypnosis and acupuncture. The whole health model is a holistic approach that looks at the many areas of life that may affect health in order to make a health plan suited for each individual based on his or her health goals.
Requires the Government Accountability Office to report on all memoranda of understanding and memoranda of agreement entered into by the VA with non-VA entities relating to suicide prevention and the provision or coordination of mental health services.
Makes updates related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition assistance, mental health care, care for women veterans, and telehealth care.
Directs the Department of Justice to establish a Veterans Treatment Court Program to provide grants and technical assistance for state, local, and tribal governments to develop and maintain veterans treatment courts
Authorizes appellants in cases before the Board of Veterans' Appeals to appear at a hearing by picture and voice transmission (e.g., Skype) from locations other than VA facilities. Requires the VA to report specified statistics and information related to hearings held by picture and voice transmission.
Grants the VA needs a waiver of certain dental care eligibility requirements in order to implement a pilot program focused on expanding veteran access to dental care services.
Addresses certain health benefit and home loan programs for veterans. Specifically, extends the presumption of service-connection for certain diseases associated with herbicide (e.g., Agent Orange) exposure to veterans who served
Makes any veteran who served on active duty at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for at least 30 days between January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1987, and their family members, eligible for hospital care and medical services through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for any of 15 listed cancers and other illnesses or conditions, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the illness or condition is attributable to such service.
Presumes the following diseases to be service-connected and resulting from exposure to dioxins and other herbicide agents during service in Vietnam during the Vietnam era unless there is affirmative evidence to the contrary: (1) non-Hodgkins lymphoma, each soft-tissue sarcoma (with certain exceptions), and chloracne or other consistent acneform diseases becoming manifest to a degree of disability of ten percent or more; and (2) those additional diseases that the Secretary determines warrant such a presumption by reason of having a positive association with a herbicide agent, if they become manifest within the appropriate period.
Establishes that a foreign-born child of a U.S. citizen member of the Armed Forces or government employee may automatically acquire U.S. citizenship even if the child is not residing in the United States.
Makes any veteran who served on active duty at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for at least 30 days between January 1, 1957, and December 31, 1987, and their family members, eligible for hospital care and medical services through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for any of 15 listed cancers and other illnesses or conditions, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the illness or condition is attributable to such service.
Applies certain small business subcontracting limitations to contracts that the VA awards to a small business concern owned and controlled by a veteran or a veteran with a service-connected disability.
Addresses education programs and assistance for veterans during the covered period from March 1-December 21, 2020.
Requires the Department of Labor to revise its registered apprenticeship programs to include additional program requirements for increasing the access of veterans and their survivors or dependents to such programs.
Addresses the participation of veterans in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, including by making veterans eligible for certain National Science Foundation (NSF) programs.
Authorizes the VA to establish a grant program to conduct cemetery research and produce educational materials for the Veterans Legacy Program. The program provides the public with engagement and educational opportunities regarding veterans interred in national, state, or tribal veterans' cemeteries. Additionally, the bill requires the VA to report on the efficacy of the grant program.
Directs the VA to increase, as of December 1, 2020, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. The percentage increase in benefits shall be the same as the cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients.
Modifies the treatment of certain veterans' benefits in bankruptcy. Excludes from a debtor's current monthly income certain benefits, including disability benefits, paid by the VAs or the Department of Defense.
Revises loan seasoning requirements related to a refinanced VA housing loan.
Requires the VA to establish a team of experts to report to Congress addressing issues in the implementation of educational housing assistance for veterans. Specifically, the team will address issues with the payment of educational housing stipends to eligible veterans. Changes made to the act affected the calculation of the housing stipend amount based on campus location.