Helping Heroes Act
Helping Heroes Act
Plain Language Summary
# Helping Heroes Act Summary **What it does:** This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create a new "Veteran Family Resource Program" designed to help veterans and their families address health and wellness challenges. The program would place at least one family coordinator at each regional VA health care office to serve as a point person connecting veterans, their families, and caregivers to VA services and community resources. The VA would be required to hire adequate staff and provide sufficient funding to make the program work, with the option to expand it to additional medical centers over time. **Who it affects:** Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors would benefit from this program by having easier access to health and wellness resources.
The bill also affects the VA, which would need to hire and train new family coordinators and allocate resources to support the initiative. **Current status:** The bill is currently in committee, meaning it has been introduced but hasn't yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives. It was sponsored by Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D-Washington) and addresses what the bill describes as "social determinants of health" challenges—factors like family relationships and mental health that can affect overall wellness.
CRS Official Summary
Helping Heroes ActThis bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Veteran Family Resource Program to address social determinants of health challenges experienced in veterans’ family units and ensure veterans and their families have access to services and resources to support wellness within the family units.In implementing the program, the VA must (1) appoint at least one family coordinator in each Veterans Integrated Service Network (regional VA health care administrative areas), and (2) ensure adequate staffing and resources to ensure family coordinators are able to carry out their duties and functions. Under the bill, a family coordinator’s function is generally to serve at a VA medical center as a point person regarding VA and community resources for veterans, their families, and caregivers and survivors of veterans.The VA may expand the program to additional medical centers as appropriate.Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this bill, and not less frequently than once every five years after, the VA must survey disabled veterans and their families to identify and better understand their needs.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.