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Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 3, 2025
Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act or the TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act
The bill revises the administration of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) caregiver programs. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to formally recognize caregivers of veterans by identifying any caregiver in the health record of the veteran. Such caregivers covered by the bill include those participating in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and those participating in the Program of General Caregiver Support Services.
The bill requires the VA to notify veterans and their caregivers regarding any clinical determinations made relating to claims, tier reduction, or termination of assistance under, or eligibility for, the specified caregiver programs. The notifications must be standardized and contain specified details regarding the decisions.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
The bill also requires the VA to temporarily extend benefits under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers for at least 90 days after the receipt of notice that a veteran is no longer clinically eligible for the program. Such an extension shall not apply to the termination of caregiver benefits (1) if the VA determines the caregiver committed fraud or abused or neglected the veteran, (2) if another primary provider or individual caregiver is designated within 90 days after the termination, (3) if the terminated individual moves out or abandons their relationship with the veteran, or (4) upon request of the caregiver or veteran.
People & committees
Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] · R–AZ
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Dec 20, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-01-03 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify veterans’ caregivers in veterans’ health records and send standardized notices about caregiver-program decisions. It would also continue benefits, including caregiver payments, for at least 90 days after notice that a veteran no longer meets the comprehensive family-caregiver program’s clinical eligibility requirements. Exceptions would apply, including fraud, abuse, neglect, and certain caregiver changes.
This Act may be cited as the Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veteran Caregivers Act or the TEAM Veteran Caregivers Act.
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 veteran.
The Secretary, using a standardized letter, shall notify veterans and caregivers of veterans regarding any clinical determinations made relating to claims, tier reduction, or termination of assistance under, or eligibility for, a caregiver program under subsection (a) or (b) of section 1720G of title 38, United States Code.
Upon determining that a veteran who was receiving services under the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers under subsection (a) of section 1720G of title 38, United States Code, is no longer clinically eligible for purposes of such program, the Secretary shall extend benefits under such program, including stipends under paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(V) of such subsection, for not less than 90 days after the date of notification under subsection (b) that the veteran is no longer clinically eligible.
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the termination of caregiver benefits— (A) if the Secretary determines that the family caregiver committed fraud or abused or neglected the veteran;
(D) the terminated individual had been living with the veteran and moves out, or the terminated individual abandons or terminates his or her relationship with the veteran;
The bill would require VA to identify all veterans’ caregivers in the veterans’ health records. This expressly includes participants in both the comprehensive family-caregiver assistance program and the caregiver support-services program.
(1) 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 veteran. (2) Inclusion Caregivers recognized under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) family caregivers participating in the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers under subsection (a) of section 1720G of title 38, United States Code; and (B) caregivers participating in the program of support services for caregivers under subsection (b) of such section.
VA would have to send veterans and caregivers standardized letters about clinical decisions involving claims, reductions in assistance level, termination of assistance, or eligibility in either caregiver program. The letters would have to include the decision-notice elements required by an existing statute, to the extent those elements apply.
(1) In general The Secretary, using a standardized letter, shall notify veterans and caregivers of veterans regarding any clinical determinations made relating to claims, tier reduction, or termination of assistance under, or eligibility for, a caregiver program under subsection (a) or (b) of section 1720G of title 38, United States Code. (2) Elements Notifications under paragraph (1) shall include the elements required for notices of decisions under section 5104(b) of title 38, United States Code, to the extent that those elements apply to determinations under paragraph (1).
Subject to the listed exceptions, VA would have to continue comprehensive family-caregiver program benefits, including stipends—caregiver payments—for at least 90 days after notifying a veteran that the veteran is no longer clinically eligible. This requirement concerns veterans already receiving services under that program.
Upon determining that a veteran who was receiving services under the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers under subsection (a) of section 1720G of title 38, United States Code, is no longer clinically eligible for purposes of such program, the Secretary shall extend benefits under such program, including stipends under paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(V) of such subsection, for not less than 90 days after the date of notification under subsection (b) that the veteran is no longer clinically eligible.
(2) Exclusion Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the termination of caregiver benefits—
The benefit-extension requirement would not apply if the VA Secretary determines that the family caregiver committed fraud or abused or neglected the veteran.
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the termination of caregiver benefits— (A) if the Secretary determines that the family caregiver committed fraud or abused or neglected the veteran;
Two replacement-caregiver exceptions would end the former caregiver’s benefits the day before a new designation. One applies when a designated primary personal-care provider is replaced within 90 days after termination. The other applies when a new family caregiver is designated within that period and the designation results in three family caregivers assigned to the veteran.
(B) if the family caregiver was designated under section 1720G(a)(7) of title 38, United States Code, as the primary provider of personal care services for the veteran and another primary provider is designated within 90 days after the date of termination, in which case benefits for the terminated primary provider will terminate the day before the date on which the new primary provider is designated;
(C) if another individual is designated to be a family caregiver within 90 days after the date of termination, such that there are three family caregivers assigned to the veteran, in which case benefits for the terminated family caregiver will terminate the day before the date on which the new family caregiver is designated;
The extension requirement would also not apply when the terminated caregiver had lived with the veteran and moves out, or abandons or ends the relationship with the veteran.
(2) Exclusion Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the termination of caregiver benefits—
(D) the terminated individual had been living with the veteran and moves out, or the terminated individual abandons or terminates his or her relationship with the veteran;
The extension requirement would not apply to termination requested by the family caregiver or the veteran.
(2) Exclusion Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the termination of caregiver benefits—
(E) upon request of the family caregiver or the veteran.
The supplied action snapshot, updated December 20, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on January 3, 2025, followed by referral to the Subcommittee on Health on December 19, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2025-12-20T09:06:47Z. 2025-12-19: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. 2025-01-03: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-01-03. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish what other versions or accompanying materials contain.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark disclosures and accompanying materials are not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential carve-out was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Ordinary benefits for the program’s intended population do not alone qualify. This conclusion is limited to that version, not other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Dec 20, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI