#aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#bbaf  ,,an ,,act  ,to require the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
formally recognize caregivers of        
veterans1 notify veterans and caregivers
 of clinical determinations relating to 
eligibility for the family caregiver    
program1 and temporarily extend benefits
 for veterans who are determined        
ineligible for the family caregiver     
program1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,transparency and ,effective        
,accountability ,measures for ,veteran  
,caregivers ,act or the ,,team ,veteran 
,caregivers ,act4  #b4 ,modification of 
administration of caregiver programs of 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7  
,formal recognition of caregivers  7#a7 
,report  7,a7 ,in general ,not later    
than #fj days after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of

 the ,house of ,representatives a report
 regarding the feasibility and          
advisability of formally recognizing all
 caregivers of veterans by identifying  
any caregiver of a veteran in the       
electronic health record of the veteran4
  7,b7 ,caregivers recognized ,the      
recognition of caregivers described in  
subparagraph 7,a7 shall include         
recognition of -- 7i7 any family        
caregiver who is approved as a provider 
of personal care services for an        
eligible veteran under the program of   
comprehensive assistance for family     
caregivers under subsection 7a7 of      
section #agbj;,g of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code2 and  7ii7 any caregiver  
of a covered veteran participating in   
the program of general caregiver support
 services under subsection 7b7 of such  
section4  7,c7 ,timeline ,if the        
,secretary determines that formally     
recognizing all caregivers of veterans  
as described in subparagraph 7,a7 is    
feasible and advisable1 the report      

required by such subparagraph shall     
include a timeline for implementing such
 recognition4  7#b7 ,implementation ,if 
the ,secretary determines that formally 
recognizing all caregivers of veterans  
as described in paragraph 7#a77;,a7 is  
feasible and advisable1 the ,secretary  
shall implement such recognition in     
accordance with the timeline included in
 the report required by such paragraph4 
7b7 ,notifications1 extension of        
benefits1 and discharge from family     
caregiver program ,section #agbj;,g7a7  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended by adding at the end the        
following new paragraphs3  7#ab7 7,a7   
,the ,secretary shall notify the        
individuals described in subparagraph   
7,c7 regarding decisions affecting the  
furnishing of assistance under this     
subsection using standardized letters1  
as the ,secretary determines such       
notifications and letters to be         
appropriate4  7,b7 ,a notification      
provided under subparagraph 7,a7 shall  

include the elements required for       
notices of decisions under section      
#eajd7;b7 of this title to the extent   
that those elements apply to such       
notification1 unless1 not later than #fj
 days after the date of the enactment of
 the ,transparency and ,effective       
,accountability ,measures for ,veteran  
,caregivers ,act1 the ,secretary        
determines that it would not be feasible
 to include such elements in such       
notifications and submits to the        
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report setting forth 
the reasons for such determination4     
7,c7 ,the individuals described in this 
subparagraph shall include-- 7i7 an     
individual who submits an application   
for the program established under       
paragraph 7#a72  7ii7 an individual     
determined by the ,secretary to be an   
eligible veteran pursuant to such an    
application2 and  7iii7 a family        

caregiver of an eligible veteran who    
is-- 7,i7 approved as a provider of     
personal care services under paragraph  
7#f77;,b72 or  7,,ii7 designated as a   
primary provider of personal care       
services under paragraph 7#g77;,a74     
7#ac7 7,a7 ,if the ,secretary determines
 that a veteran receiving services under
 the program established under paragraph
 7#a7 is no longer eligible for such    
program solely because of improvement in
 the condition of the veteran-- 7i7 the 
effective date of discharge of the      
veteran from the program shall be not   
earlier than the date that is #fj days  
after the date on which the ,secretary  
provides notice of such lack of         
eligibility under paragraph 7#ab77;,a7  
to the relevant individuals described in
 paragraph 7#ab77;,c72 and  7ii7 the    
,secretary shall extend benefits under  
the program established under paragraph 
7#a7 for a family caregiver of the      
veteran described in paragraph          
7#ab77;,c77iii71 including stipends     

under paragraph 7#c77;,a77ii77,v71 if   
such an extension is determined         
appropriate by the ,secretary1 for a    
#ij-;day period following discharge of  
the veteran from the program4  7,b7     
,this paragraph shall not be construed  
to limit the authority of the           
,secretary-- 7i7 to prescribe           
regulations addressing other bases for--
 7,i7 the discharge of a veteran from   
the program established under paragraph 
7#a72 or  7,,ii7 the revocation of the  
designation of a family caregiver of a  
veteran as a primary provider of        
personal care services under paragraph  
7#g77;,a72 or  7ii7 to provide advance  
notice and extended benefits under the  
program1 as appropriate1 if another     
basis for discharge of a veteran        
described in subclause 7,i7 of clause   
7i7 or revocation of a designation      
described in subclause 7,,ii7 of such   
clause applies4  4  ,passed the ,senate 
,november #ag1 #bjbj4,secretary