H.R. 8371: Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act

Bill · 118th Congress (2023–2024). Passed House, 18 Nov 2024. Introduced 14 May 2024.

Official title: To make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Vote results

House, 18 Nov 2024: Passed, 389 Yea, 9 Nay, 0 Present, 34 Not voting. The House’s roll call
President: Not presented to the President.

How each member voted

House

Yea (389): Harold Rogers (R-KY-5); Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-4); Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5); Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9); Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6); Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1); Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-3); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12); Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2); Ken Calvert (R-CA-41); James E. Clyburn (D-SC-6); Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-16); Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-3); Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7); Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2); Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3); Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37); Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18); Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3); Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4); Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7); Diana DeGette (D-CO-1); James P. McGovern (D-MA-2); Brad Sherman (D-CA-32); Adam Smith (D-WA-9); Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-5); Barbara Lee (D-CA-12); John B. Larson (D-CT-1); Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA-31); Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL-9); Michael K. Simpson (R-ID-2); Mike Thompson (D-CA-4); Pete Sessions (R-TX-17); Sam Graves (R-MO-6); Rick Larsen (D-WA-2); Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-8); Joe Wilson (R-SC-2); Michael C. Burgess (R-TX-26); John R. Carter (R-TX-31); Tom Cole (R-OK-4); Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26); Mike Rogers (R-AL-3); C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2); Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38); Michael R. Turner (R-OH-10); Darrell Issa (R-CA-48); Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5); Jim Costa (D-CA-21); Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28); Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5); Al Green (D-TX-9); Michael T. McCaul (R-TX-10); Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC-10); Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5); Gwen Moore (D-WI-4); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25); Doris O. Matsui (D-CA-7); Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Kathy Castor (D-FL-14); Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-9); Steve Cohen (D-TN-9); Joe Courtney (D-CT-2); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA-4); Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5); John P. Sarbanes (D-MD-3); Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5); Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1); André Carson (D-IN-7); Steve Scalise (R-LA-1); Tim Walberg (R-MI-5); Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2); James A. Himes (D-CT-4); Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3); Tom McClintock (R-CA-5); Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1); Bill Posey (R-FL-8); Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Mike Quigley (D-IL-5); Judy Chu (D-CA-28); John Garamendi (D-CA-8); Bill Foster (D-IL-11); Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8); Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR-1); Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN-3); H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9); Andy Harris (R-MD-1); Bill Huizenga (R-MI-4); William R. Keating (D-MA-9); Mike Kelly (R-PA-16); David Schweikert (R-AZ-1); Austin Scott (R-GA-8); Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7); Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24); Steve Womack (R-AR-3); Dina Titus (D-NV-1); Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-7); Mark E. Amodei (R-NV-2); Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1); Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-1); Thomas Massie (R-KY-4); Andy Barr (R-KY-6); Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3); Ami Bera (D-CA-6); Julia Brownley (D-CA-26); Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20); Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29); Lois Frankel (D-FL-22); Richard Hudson (R-NC-9); Jared Huffman (D-CA-2); Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8); David P. Joyce (R-OH-14); Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI-8); Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6); Ann M. Kuster (D-NH-2); Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1); Scott Perry (R-PA-10); Scott H. Peters (D-CA-50); Mark Pocan (D-WI-2); Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25); Mark Takano (D-CA-39); Juan Vargas (D-CA-52); Marc A. Veasey (D-TX-33); Ann Wagner (R-MO-2); Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX-14); Brad R. Wenstrup (R-OH-2); Roger Williams (R-TX-25); Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-2); Jason Smith (R-MO-8); Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-5); Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12); Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1); Pete Aguilar (D-CA-33); Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12); Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-8); Mike Bost (R-IL-12); Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2); Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA-1); Ed Case (D-HI-1); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10); Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6); Tom Emmer (R-MN-6); Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-3); Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6); J. French Hill (R-AR-2); Ted Lieu (D-CA-36); Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11); John R. Moolenaar (R-MI-2); Seth Moulton (D-MA-6); Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4); Gary J. Palmer (R-AL-6); David Rouzer (R-NC-7); Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21); Norma J. Torres (D-CA-35); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4); Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10); David G. Valadao (R-CA-22); Trent Kelly (R-MS-1); Warren Davidson (R-OH-8); James Comer (R-KY-1); Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19); Don Bacon (R-NE-2); Jim Banks (R-IN-3); Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44); Jack Bergman (R-MI-1); Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL); Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24); J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46); Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2); Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13); A. Drew Ferguson IV (R-GA-3); Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1); Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34); Clay Higgins (R-LA-3); Steven Horsford (D-NV-4); Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7); Ro Khanna (D-CA-17); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8); David Kustoff (R-TN-8); Brian J. Mast (R-FL-21); Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19); Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8); John H. Rutherford (R-FL-5); Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11); Darren Soto (D-FL-9); Ron Estes (R-KS-4); John R. Curtis (R-UT-3); Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY-3); Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-8); Michael Cloud (R-TX-27); Troy Balderson (R-OH-12); Kevin Hern (R-OK-1); Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY-25); Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5); Susan Wild (D-PA-7); Colin Z. Allred (D-TX-32); James R. Baird (R-IN-4); Tim Burchett (R-TN-2); Sean Casten (D-IL-6); Ben Cline (R-VA-6); Angie Craig (D-MN-2); Jason Crow (D-CO-6); Sharice Davids (D-KS-3); Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4); Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16); Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7); Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1); Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29); Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4); Jared F. Golden (D-ME-2); Lance Gooden (R-TX-5); Mark E. Green (R-TN-7); Michael Guest (R-MS-3); Josh Harder (D-CA-9); Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5); Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6); Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL); John Joyce (R-PA-13); Mike Levin (D-CA-49); Lucy McBath (D-GA-7); Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9); Joe Neguse (D-CO-2); Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14); Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5); Chris Pappas (D-NH-1); Greg Pence (R-IN-6); Dean Phillips (D-MN-3); Katie Porter (D-CA-47); Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7); Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14); John W. Rose (R-TN-6); Kim Schrier (D-WA-8); Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-7); Abigail Davis Spanberger (D-VA-7); Greg Stanton (D-AZ-4); Pete Stauber (R-MN-8); Bryan Steil (R-WI-1); Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11); William R. Timmons IV (R-SC-4); Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12); Lori Trahan (D-MA-3); David J. Trone (D-MD-6); Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14); Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ-2); Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24); Dan Bishop (R-NC-8); Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC-3); Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI-7); Ryan K. Zinke (R-MT-1); Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4); Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2); Stephanie I. Bice (R-OK-5); Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16); Cori Bush (D-MO-1); Kat Cammack (R-FL-3); Jerry L. Carl (R-AL-1); Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA-9); Pat Fallon (R-TX-4); Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4); Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-7); Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-5); Scott Franklin (R-FL-18); Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-2); Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL-28); Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23); Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14); Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-1); Ashley Hinson (R-IA-2); Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13); Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51); Young Kim (R-CA-40); Jake LaTurner (R-KS-2); Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3); Nancy Mace (R-SC-1); Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11); Tracey Mann (R-KS-1); Kathy E. Manning (D-NC-6); Lisa C. McClain (R-MI-9); Mary E. Miller (R-IL-15); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1); Barry Moore (R-AL-2); Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1); Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN-1); Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22); Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23); Burgess Owens (R-UT-4); August Pfluger (R-TX-11); Deborah K. Ross (D-NC-2); Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Michelle Steel (R-CA-45); Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10); Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15); Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24); Nikema Williams (D-GA-5); Julia Letlow (R-LA-5); Troy A. Carter (D-LA-2); Melanie A. Stansbury (D-NM-1); Jake Ellzey (R-TX-6); Shontel M. Brown (D-OH-11); Mike Carey (R-OH-15); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20); Mike Flood (R-NE-1); Brad Finstad (R-MN-1); Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK-AL); Patrick Ryan (D-NY-18); Rudy Yakym III (R-IN-2); Mark Alford (R-MO-4); Becca Balint (D-VT-AL); Aaron Bean (R-FL-4); Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13); Eric Burlison (R-MO-7); Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-8); Greg Casar (D-TX-35); Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-5); Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6); Mike Collins (R-GA-10); Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30); Donald G. Davis (D-NC-1); Christopher R. Deluzio (D-PA-17); John S. Duarte (R-CA-13); Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11); Mike Ezell (R-MS-4); Valerie P. Foushee (D-NC-4); Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10); Russell Fry (R-SC-7); Robert Garcia (D-CA-42); Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-3); Daniel S. Goldman (D-NY-10); Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY-AL); Erin Houchin (R-IN-9); Val T. Hoyle (D-OR-4); Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38); Glenn Ivey (D-MD-4); Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL-1); John James (R-MI-10); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37); Thomas H. Kean, Jr. (R-NJ-7); Jennifer A. Kiggans (R-VA-2); Kevin Kiley (R-CA-3); Nick LaLota (R-NY-1); Greg Landsman (D-OH-1); Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY-23); Michael Lawler (R-NY-17); Laurel M. Lee (R-FL-15); Summer L. Lee (D-PA-12); Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13); Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-8); Seth Magaziner (D-RI-2); Richard McCormick (R-GA-6); Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3); Robert Menendez (D-NJ-8); Max L. Miller (R-OH-7); Cory Mills (R-FL-7); Marcus J. Molinaro (R-NY-19); Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1); Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23); Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15); Wiley Nickel (D-NC-13); Zachary Nunn (R-IA-3); Andrew Ogles (R-TN-5); Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-7); Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-3); Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6); Hillary J. Scholten (D-MI-3); Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17); Dale W. Strong (R-AL-5); Emilia Strong Sykes (D-OH-13); Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13); Jill N. Tokuda (D-HI-2); Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-3); Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-2); Brandon Williams (R-NY-22); Jennifer L. McClellan (D-VA-4); Gabe Amo (D-RI-1); Celeste Maloy (R-UT-2); Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY-26); Vince Fong (R-CA-20); Michael A. Rulli (R-OH-6); Greg Lopez (R-CO-4); LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10); Erica Lee Carter (D-TX-18); Tony Wied (R-WI-8); Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-30); Andy Kim (D-NJ-3); Jeff Jackson (D-NC-14).

Nay (9): Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3); Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-9); Ralph Norman (R-SC-5); Chip Roy (R-TX-21); Bob Good (R-VA-5); Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr. (R-MT-2); Josh Brecheen (R-OK-2); Elijah Crane (R-AZ-2); Keith Self (R-TX-3).

Not voting (34): Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11); Maxine Waters (D-CA-43); Kay Granger (R-TX-12); Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-7); David Scott (D-GA-13); Jim Jordan (R-OH-4); Adrian Smith (R-NE-3); Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11); Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-4); Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8); Grace Meng (D-NY-6); Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14); Brian Babin (R-TX-36); Garret Graves (R-LA-6); Alexander X. Mooney (R-WV-2); Darin LaHood (R-IL-16); Dwight Evans (D-PA-3); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5); Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5); Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34); Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2); Susie Lee (D-NV-3); Carol D. Miller (R-WV-1); Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11); W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17); Michael Waltz (R-FL-6); Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10); Mike Garcia (R-CA-27); Lauren Boebert (R-CO-3); Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Victoria Spartz (R-IN-5); Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-4); Monica De La Cruz (R-TX-15); Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-AL).

Speaker, not listed (1): Mike Johnson (R-LA-4).

Not in office (12): Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18); Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-9); Brian Higgins (D-NY-26); Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20); Bill Johnson (R-OH-6); David N. Cicilline (D-RI-1); Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10); Chris Stewart (R-UT-2); Ken Buck (R-CO-4); Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1); Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8); George Santos (R-NY-3).

Summary

Main subject: Amends laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on community care, home- and community-based services, education, employment, home loans, disability and burial benefits, homeless veteran services, and Department oversight. Sec. 101, Sec. 120, Sec. 201, Sec. 231, Sec. 301, Sec. 402, Sec. 501

Its core areas: Veterans Community Care Program eligibility, outreach and quality standards; Home- and community-based services and family caregiver support; Department of Veterans Affairs health care pay, dental care and staffing; Educational assistance and oversight of educational institutions; Reemployment rights of members of the uniformed services; Direct housing loans for Native American veterans; Disability examinations, claims processing and burial allowance; Per diem payments and assistance for homeless veterans; Department of Veterans Affairs oversight, reporting and security.

Unexpected Items: 17 provisions

These provisions fall outside the bill’s main subject or apply narrowly. This describes the text; it is not a judgment.

Not related to the bill’s main subject (3)

Sec. 154: Authorization of appropriations to support initiatives for mobile mammography services for veterans: Authorizes $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2025 for the Office of Women's Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand women veterans' access to mobile mammography initiatives, mammography equipment, and outreach. ($5,000,000)
Sec. 223: Warrior Training Advancement Course: Beyond a report on the Warrior Training Advancement Course, directs the Secretary of the Interior to set up a two-year pilot program employing veterans in positions related to conservation and resource management at the Department of the Interior.
Sec. 503: Modification of certain housing loan fees: Changes the end date in the VA housing loan fee table from November 29, 2031 to June 9, 2034, extending the fee schedule that applies until then.

Applies only to a specific place or group (4)

Sec. 142: Modification of pay limitation for physicians, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists of Department of Veterans Affairs: Among other pay changes, lets the Secretary pay retroactive compensation to covered employees whose authorized pay from January 8, 2006 through December 31, 2017 was deferred to a later calendar year because it would have exceeded an annual cap.
Sec. 144: Pilot program to furnish dental care from the Department of Veterans Affairs to certain veterans diagnosed with ischemic heart disease: Creates a two-year pilot program furnishing dental care to enrolled veterans who have an ischemic heart disease diagnosis and are not otherwise eligible for VA dental care, in not more than four States chosen by the Secretary.
Sec. 212: Department of Veterans Affairs high technology program: Creates a high technology education program capped at 4,000 participants a year, and lets an online high technology program bypass the independent study limit if its provider has held a contract for at least five years and its graduates' employment rate is 65 percent or higher.
Sec. 214: Payment of VA educational assistance via electronic fund transfer to a foreign institution of higher education: Requires VA to update its payment system within 90 days to allow electronic fund transfer of educational assistance to a foreign institution of higher education that has no employer identification number or domestic bank account.

Funds a specific named project or event (1)

Sec. 232: Native community development financial institution relending program: Creates a Secretary loan program for Native community development financial institutions to relend to Native American veterans on trust land, with loans bearing one percent interest, and allows up to $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 from the housing loan account. ($5,000,000)

Different amount for specific places or groups (3)

Sec. 143: Reimbursement of ambulance cost for care for certain rural veterans: Requires payment or reimbursement of ambulance transport costs, up to a cumulative maximum of $46,000 per veteran, for covered veterans at locations 100 or more miles from the nearest VA medical center and in areas rated 10 or higher under the rural-urban commuting areas system; ends September 30, 2026. ($46,000)
Sec. 302: Authority for Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to States and Indian Tribes to improve outreach to veterans: Creates a VA grant program for States and Indian Tribes to improve veteran outreach, requires at least five percent of grant funds go to Indian Tribes, and authorizes $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027. ($10,000,000)
Sec. 402: Per diem payments provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for services furnished to homeless veterans: Raises the per diem payment cap for homeless veteran services from 115 percent to 133 percent through September 30, 2027, lets the Secretary waive the maximum up to 200 percent for fiscal years 2025 through 2027 for up to 50 percent of recipients, and caps payments at 12,000 per year.

Exception or delay for a subset (5)

Sec. 107: Strategic plan on value-based health care system for Veterans Health Administration; pilot program: Directs the Secretary to set up a working group on value-based care and a strategic plan, and states that the federal advisory committee chapter of title 5 does not apply to that working group.
Sec. 120: Increase of expenditure cap for noninstitutional care alternatives to nursing home care: Raises the cost cap for noninstitutional care alternatives from 65 percent to 100 percent, and lets the Secretary allow costs above 100 percent for veterans with certain named conditions.
Sec. 201: Temporary expansion of eligibility for Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship: For terms starting between August 1, 2025 and October 1, 2027, treats the child or spouse of a person who died of a service-connected disability within 120 days of discharge as eligible for the Fry Scholarship.
Sec. 209: Modification of rules for approval of commercial driver education programs for purposes of educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Exempts certain commercial driver education programs at a branch of an educational institution from an existing approval rule, if the program is licensed and meets branch-location or one-year operating conditions, with annual reporting and Secretary authority to withhold the exemption.
Sec. 301: Burial allowance for certain veterans who die at home while in receipt of hospice care furnished by Department of Veterans Affairs: Treats veterans who die at home while receiving VA hospice care, after VA hospital or nursing home care, as eligible for burial allowance, only for deaths from 180 days after enactment until October 1, 2026.

Program name includes a political figure’s name (1)

Sec. 1: Short title; table of contents: Gives the Act a short title that includes the name of a named person, Senator Elizabeth Dole.

What it does

Sec. 101: Requires the Secretary to implement section 1703(d)(1)(E) of title 38 for a two-year period so that the determination of eligibility for community care is final and is made by the veteran and the veteran's referring clinician.
Sec. 120: Amends section 1720C(d) of title 38 to change the cost limit for noninstitutional alternatives to nursing home care from 65 percent to 100 percent, and lets the Secretary exceed 100 percent for veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a spinal cord injury, or a similar condition.
Sec. 122: Authorizes the Secretary to award grants for mental health support to family caregivers of veterans, and authorizes $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
Sec. 142: Adds optometrists to the market pay rules for Department physicians, podiatrists and dentists, and lets the Secretary waive pay limitations for recruiting or retaining certain health care personnel, with no more than 300 waivers.
Sec. 149: Requires the Secretary to publish a National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, starting not later than 18 months after enactment and by September 30 of each year after that.
Sec. 201: Treats certain children and spouses of a person who dies of a service-connected disability within 120 days after discharge as covered for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, for terms beginning on or after August 1, 2025 and before October 1, 2027.
Sec. 221: Amends the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act provisions to bar retaliatory action, set conditions for injunctive relief, add liquidated damages, and require attorney fees awards to those who prevail.
Sec. 231: Allows the Secretary to make direct loans to Native American veterans to refinance existing mortgage loans not made under section 3762, on the same dwelling, if listed conditions are met.
Sec. 301: Treats a veteran who dies at home or in another setting while receiving Department hospice care, when it directly followed Department hospital or nursing home care, as eligible under section 2303(a)(2)(A) of title 38, for deaths from 180 days after enactment through September 30, 2026.
Sec. 402: Raises a maximum per diem rate for services to homeless veterans from 115 percent to 133 percent through September 30, 2027, and lets the Secretary waive the maximum, up to 200 percent of a stated rate, for fiscal years 2025 through 2027.

Written automatically from the official text by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model. Written 1 Oct 2026 and published after the automatic checks, without a person reading it first. Every line names the section it came from.