Senate Passes Caregiver Bill

Week of December 07, 2009

The U.S. Senate recently voted 98-0 to pass the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009, a sweeping reform bill for wounded warriors and the families who care for them. S. 1963 merges two veterans' health bills that passed the committee with unanimous bipartisan support this summer. The bill would, among many other things, establish an unprecedented permanent program to train, support, and assist the caregivers of disabled veterans; improve care for veterans in rural areas, reduce veteran homelessness, improve care for women veterans; and improve VA's ability to recruit and retain a strong workforce and provide quality assurance at its medical facilities. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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