,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bbaf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bc1     
#bjai ,mr4 ,peters 7for himself and     
,mrs4 ,blackburn7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs to formally recognize          
caregivers of veterans1 notify veterans 
and caregivers of clinical              
determinations relating to eligibility  
for caregiver programs1 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 program of ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,official       

designation of caregivers  7#a7 ,in     
general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans    
,affairs shall formally recognize all   
caregivers of veterans by identifying   
any caregiver of a veteran in the health
 record of the veteran4  7#b7 ,inclusion
 ,caregivers recognized under paragraph 
7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 family        
caregivers participating in the program 
of comprehensive assistance for family  
caregivers under subsection 7a7 of      
section #agbj;,g of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code2 and  7,b7 caregivers     
participating in the program of support 
services for caregivers under subsection
 7b7 of such section4  7b7 ,notification
 letters regarding clinical             
determinations  7#a7 ,in general ,the   
,secretary1 using a standardized letter1
 shall notify veterans and caregivers of
 veterans regarding any clinical        
determinations made relating to claims  
under1 or eligibility for1 a caregiver  
program under subsection 7a7 or 7b7 of  
section #agbj;,g of title #ch1 ,united  

,states ,code4  7#b7 ,elements          
,notifications under paragraph 7#a7     
shall include the elements required for 
notices of decisions under section      
#eajd7;b7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states 
,code1 to the extent that those elements
 apply to claims or eligibility         
determinations under paragraph 7#a74    
7c7 ,temporary extension of benefits for
 family caregiver program  7#a7 ,in     
general ,upon determining that a veteran
 who was receiving services under the   
program of comprehensive assistance for 
family caregivers under section         
#agbj;,g7a7 of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is no longer clinically  
eligible for purposes of such program1  
the ,secretary shall extend benefits    
under such program1 including stipends  
under paragraph 7#c77;,a77ii77,v7 of    
such section1 for not less than #ij days
 after the date of notification under   
subsection 7b7 that the veteran is no   
longer clinically eligible4  7#b7       
,exclusion ,paragraph 7#a7 shall not    

apply to the termination of caregiver   
benefits-- 7,a7 for cause1 including--  
7i7 noncompliance with requirements of  
the program2 or  7ii7 fraud2  7,b7      
because the veteran died2 or  7,c7 upon 
request of the caregiver or the veteran4