February 25, 2025
Mrs. Murray (for herself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Booker, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Welch) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Veteran Family Resource Program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Helping Heroes Act
.
Sec. 2. Establishment of Veteran Family Resource Program
(a) Establishment
(1) In general
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, acting through the Under Secretary for Health and the Office of Patient Care Services and Care Management and Social Work Services of the Veterans Health Administration, establish a program—
(A)
to enhance the resilience, health, and well-being of veterans by addressing social determinants of health challenges experienced in their family units through person-centered clinical integrations, connections to benefits furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and community resource engagement; and
(B)
to ensure veterans and their families have access to a continuum of services and resources needed to support wellness within their family units as they define the family units.
(2) Designation
The program established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be known as the Veteran Family Resource Program
(in this section referred to as the Program
).
(b) Family coordinators and staffing
(1) In general
The Secretary shall carry out the Program by, not later than the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act—
(A)
appointing at least one family coordinator in each Veterans Integrated Service Network; and
(B)
ensuring adequate staffing and resources to ensure family coordinators are able to carry out their functions and duties under the Program.
(2) Functions
The functions of a family coordinator under paragraph (1) are as follows:
(A)
To serve at medical centers of the Department as point persons who understand and have a good working knowledge of—
(i)
all resources that families, caregivers, and survivors may be eligible for under provisions of law administered by the Secretary; and
(ii)
community resources available to such families, caregivers, and survivors when they have needs that are not met by the resources described in clause (i).
(B)
To help veterans, their families, their caregivers, and their survivors access and navigate the public and private resources described in subparagraph (A).
(3) Duties
Each family coordinator appointed under paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable—
(A)
assess the needs of veterans and the family members of veterans using evidence-based strategies;
(B)
build positive relationships with veterans and such family members;
(C)
refer veterans and such family members to local, State, Federal, and non-Department resources to support the overall health, well-being, and treatment goals of such veterans; and
(D)
develop and maintain a list of—
(i)
supportive services offered by the Department; and
(ii)
supportive services offered by non-Department providers;
(c) Goals and metrics
(1) Goals
The goals of the Program shall be as follows:
(A)
To connect veterans to family resources to increase their well-being and resiliency.
(B)
To develop internal partnerships to improve health care furnished by the Department.
(C)
To capture and maintain data to enhance understanding of process improvement opportunities and impact.
(D)
To function as a community liaison to bolster existing partnerships and conduct due diligence to form new partnerships.
(2) Metrics
The Secretary shall establish metrics for assessment of the Program, including metrics relating to the following:
(A)
Department referrals into the Program.
(B)
Non-Department referrals into the Program.
(C)
Health factors.
(D)
Veteran and staff satisfaction.
(d) Expansion of Program
The Secretary may expand the Program to additional medical centers of the Department or otherwise expand the Program to carry out the purposes specified in subsection (a)(1) as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(e) Report to Congress
(1) In general
Not later than two years after the commencement of the Program, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the progress of the Program.
(2) Contents
The report required by paragraph (1) shall include—
(A)
the number of veterans and children who received supportive services under the Program;
(B)
the demographic data of veterans and family members in receipt of supportive services under the Program, including—
(i)
the relationship to the veteran;
(ii)
age;
(iii)
race;
(iv)
ethnicity;
(v)
gender;
(vi)
disability; and
(vii)
English proficiency and whether a language other than English is spoken at home;
(C)
a summary of the supportive services carried out under the Program and the costs to the Department of such supportive services; and
(D)
an assessment, measured by a survey of participants, of whether, and how, participation in the Program—
(i)
resulted in positive outcomes for veterans and children; and
(ii)
contributed to the overall health, well-being, and treatment goals of the veteran.
(3) Appropriate committees of Congress defined
In this subsection, the term appropriate committees of Congress means—
(A)
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(f) Supportive services defined
In this section, the term supportive services means services that address the social, emotional, and mental health, career-readiness, and other needs of children, including—
(1)
wellness services, including mental, emotional, behavioral, and physical health;
(2)
peer-support programs for children; and
(3)
any other services or activities the Secretary considers appropriate to support the needs of children.
Sec. 3. Survey of disabled veterans and their families
(a) In general
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every five years thereafter as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines appropriate, the Secretary shall conduct a survey of disabled veterans and their families to identify and better understand the needs of such disabled veterans and their families.
(b) Content
The survey required under subsection (a) shall include questions with respect to—
(1)
the types and quality of support disabled veterans receive for their children; and
(2)
the unmet needs of such children.
Sec. 4. Nondiscrimination
The following provisions of law shall apply to any program or activity that receives funds provided under this Act:
(1)
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.).
(2)
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.).
(3)
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794).
(4)
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).
(5)
The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.).
(6)
Any other Federal law prohibiting discrimination under an applicable program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.