,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afdh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bc       
7legislative day1 ,may #bb71 #bjai,mr4  
,casey 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,tester1 and  
,mrs4 ,murray7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to reinstate and          
compensate family caregivers who were   
improperly removed from the family      
caregiver program of the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs or whose benefits    
were reduced and to ensure all veteran  
caregivers receive the support and      
assistance to which they are eligible in
 a fair and consistent manner1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,supporting    
,veteran ,caregivers ,act of #bjai4  #b4
 ,reinstatement and restoration of      
benefits for certain family caregivers  
under family caregiver program of       
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,reevaluation of benefits ,the          

,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
reevaluate the cases of all family      
caregivers who were removed from the    
program or whose benefits under the     
program were reduced on the basis of    
clinical eligibility on or after        
,january #a1 #bjae1 to ensure that such 
removal or reduction was consistent with
 eligibility criteria for the program   
under section #agbj;,g7a7 of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code4  7b7             
,reinstatement and reversal of benefit  
reduction ,not later than #ahj days     
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 on the basis of the reevaluation  
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary    
shall-- 7#a7 offer reinstatement in the 
program to any family caregiver who was 
found to be improperly removed from the 
program2 and  7#b7 reverse any reduction
 in benefits for a family caregiver     
under the program that was found to be  
improper4  7c7 ,compensation for        
caregivers wrongfully discharged or     
downgraded ,not later than #ahj days    

after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7       
compensate any family caregiver who was 
reinstated into the program under       
subsection 7b77#a7 in an amount equal to
 the amount of the stipends that the    
family caregiver would have received    
during the period beginning on the      
removal of the family caregiver from the
 program and ending on the reinstatement
 of the family caregiver in the program 
under such subsection2 and  7#b7        
compensate any family caregiver whose   
benefits were restored under subsection 
7b77#b7 in an amount equal to the       
difference between the amount of the    
stipends that the family caregiver      
received during the period beginning on 
the reduction of such benefits and      
ending on the reversal of such reduction
 under such subsection4  7d7 ,report    
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij    
days after completing the reevaluations 
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary    
shall submit to ,congress a report      

detailing the results of those          
reevaluations1 including any findings of
 inconsistencies in the administration  
of the program across facilities of the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7
 ,plan ,the ,secretary shall include in 
the report under paragraph 7#a7 a plan  
to ensure that inconsistencies in the   
administration of the program are       
corrected4  7e7 ,definitions ,in this   
section3 7#a7 ,family caregiver ,the    
term family caregiver has the meaning   
given that term in section #agbj;,g7d7  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7#b7 ,program ,the term program means   
the program of comprehensive assistance 
for family caregivers of eligible       
veterans under section #agbj;,g7a7 of   
such title4  7#c7 ,stipend ,the term    
stipend means the monthly personal      
caregiver stipend under section         
#agbj;,g7a77#c77;,a77ii77,v7 of such    
title4