,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hgi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #f1 #bjbe,mr4
 ,moran 7for himself and ,ms4 ,hirono7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to expand medical1 employment1 
and other benefits for individuals      
serving as family caregivers for certain
 veterans1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veteran ,caregiver ,reeducation1   
,reemployment1 and ,retirement ,act4    
#b4 ,extension of period of medical care
 coverage for caregivers designated as  
primary providers of personal care      
services for veterans  7a7 ,in general  
,subsection 7a77#d7 of section #agha of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by inserting before the comma at
 the end the following3 1 including     
during the #ahj-;day period following   
the removal of such designation unless  
the individual was dismissed from the   

program under section #agbj;,g7a7 of    
this title for fraud1 abuse1 or         
mistreatment4  7b7 ,limitation on       
eligibility for caregivers entitled to  
,medicare ,subsection 7d7 of such       
section is amended-- 7#a7 by            
redesignating paragraph 7#d7 as         
paragraph 7#e72 and  7#b7 by inserting  
after paragraph 7#c7 the following new  
paragraph3  7#d7 ,notwithstanding any   
other provision of this subsection1 an  
individual is not eligible for medical  
care under this section during the      
#ahj-;day period specified under        
subsection 7a77#d7 if the individual is 
entitled to hospital insurance benefits 
under part ,a of the medicare program   
during such period4  4  #c4 ,employment 
and other benefits for caregivers       
designated as primary providers of      
personal care services for veterans  7a7
 ,employment assistance ,section        
#agbj;,g of title #ch1 ,united ,states  
,code1 is amended by adding at the end  
the following new subsection3  7e7      

,employment assistance  7#a7 ,the       
,secretary shall provide to an          
individual designated as a primary      
provider of personal care services under
 subsection 7a77#g77;,a7 employment     
assistance as follows3 7,a7             
,reimbursement of fees associated with  
certifications or relicensure necessary 
for such employment4  7,b7 ,for purposes
 of gaining credit for continuing       
professional education requirements1    
access to training modules of the       
,department at no cost4  7,c7 ,in       
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,defense and the ,secretary of ,labor1  
access to employment assistance under-- 
7i7 the ,military ,one,source program of
 the ,department of ,defense2  7ii7 the 
,veterans' ,employment and ,training    
,service of the ,department of ,labor2  
and  7iii7 such programs of the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs as the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs       
determines appropriate4  7#b7 ,an       
individual described in paragraph 7#a7  

shall have access to assistance         
described in such paragraph-- 7,a7 while
 participating in the program           
established under subsection 7a77#a72   
and  7,b7 during the #ahj-;day period   
following the date on which the         
individual is no longer participating in
 such program unless the individual was 
dismissed from the program for fraud1   
abuse1 or mistreatment4  7#c7 ,the      
maximum lifetime amount that may be     
reimbursed for an individual under      
paragraph 7#a77;,a7 is #a1jjj4  4  7b7  
,expansion of available services        
,subsection 7a77#c77;,a77ii7 of such    
section is amended-- 7#a7 in subclause  
7,v71 by striking 2 and and inserting a 
semicolon2  7#b7 in subclause 7,,vi7--  
7,a7 in the matter preceding item 7aa71 
by inserting or agreements after        
contracts2  7,b7 in item 7aa71 by       
inserting 1 including retirement        
planning services1 after services2 and  
7,c7 in item 7bb71 by striking the      
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  

and  7#c7 by adding at the end the      
following new subclause3  7,,vii7 during
 the #ahj-;day period following the date
 on which the family caregiver is no    
longer participating in the program     
required by paragraph 7#a71 unless the  
family caregiver was dismissed from the 
program for fraud1 abuse1 or            
mistreatment1 such instruction1         
preparation1 training1 and support as   
the ,secretary considers appropriate to 
assist the family caregiver in          
transitioning away from caregiving4  4  
7c7 ,assistance returning to workforce  
,subclause 7,,vi7 of such subsection is 
further amended-- 7#a7 in item 7aa71 by 
striking 2 and and inserting a          
semicolon2 and  7#b7 by adding at the   
end the following new item3  7cc7       
assistance returning to the workforce   
upon discharge or dismissal from the    
program required by paragraph 7#a7      
unless the family caregiver was         
dismissed from the program for fraud1   
abuse1 or mistreatment2 and  4  7d7     

,bereavement counseling and support     
,subsection 7a77#c77;,a77i77,,iii7 of   
such section is amended by inserting    
before the semicolon the following3 1   
including bereavement counseling and    
support following the death of the      
eligible veteran4  7e7 ,study on        
provision of returnship program  7#a7   
,in general ,not later than one year    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs1 in partnership with the       
,secretary of ,labor1 shall complete a  
study on the feasibility and            
advisability of conducting a returnship 
program for individuals who are or were 
designated as a primary provider of     
personal care services under section    
#agbj;,g7a77#g77;,a7 of title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code1 to assist such   
individuals in returning to the         
workforce4  7#b7 ,report ,not later than
 #ahj days after completion of the study
 under paragraph 7#a71 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
 on the study4  7f7 ,study on           
incorporating former caregivers into    
workforce of ,department of ,veterans   
,affairs  7#a7 ,in general ,not later   
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs shall complete a  
study on barriers and incentives to     
hiring individuals who were designated  
as a primary provider of personal care  
services under section                  
#agbj;,g7a77#g77;,a7 of title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code1 at facilities of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs to
 address staffing needs4  7#b7 ,report  
,not later than #ahj days after         
completion of the study under paragraph 
7#a71 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 on the study1 

which shall include-- 7,a7 a plan for   
increasing employment opportunities at  
facilities of the ,department for       
individuals who were designated as a    
primary provider of personal care       
services under section                  
#agbj;,g7a77#g77;,a7 of title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code2 and  7,b7 such   
recommendations for legislative or      
administrative action as the ,secretary 
considers appropriate4  #d4 ,comptroller
 ,general report on efforts of          
,department of ,veterans ,affairs in    
supporting family caregivers            
transitioning away from caregiving ,not 
later than two years after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to ,congress a     
report assessing the efforts of the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs in    
supporting individuals serving as family
 caregivers under section #agbj;,g7a7 of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 in   
transitioning away from caregiving1     

either by assisting those individuals   
with retirement planning or returning to
 work4  #e4 ,report on feasibility and  
advisability of establishing a          
retirement plan or retirement savings   
for family caregivers of certain        
veterans ,not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in
 consultation with the ,secretary of the
 ,treasury and the heads of such other  
relevant entities as the ,secretary of  
,veterans ,affairs determines necessary1
 shall submit to ,congress a report on  
the feasibility and advisability of1 for
 individuals serving as family          
caregivers under section #agbj;,g7a7 of 
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code-- 7#a7 
establishing an individual retirement   
plan 7as defined in section             
#ggja7;a77#cg7 of the ,internal ,revenue
 ,code of #aihf7 or similar retirement  
plan2 or  7#b7 permitting such          
individuals to join an already          
established pathway to retirement       

savings4