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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3647 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3647
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to
address bowel and bladder care needs for veterans with spinal cord
injuries and disorders, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 15, 2026
Mr. Moran introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to
address bowel and bladder care needs for veterans with spinal cord
injuries and disorders, 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 ``Disabled Veterans Dignity Act of
2026''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Bowel care and bladder care are supportive and
necessary medical services for veterans with spinal cord
injuries and disorders when they are unable to manage their
bowel and bladder functions independently.
(2) Inadequate care will lead to complications and problems
such as autonomic dysreflexia that can be potentially life-
threatening and result in illness and hospitalization.
(3) Bowel care and bladder care are essential to support
veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders in non-
institutional settings, improve quality of life, optimize
health, and prevent complications from neurogenic bowel and
bladder.
(4) Family caregivers and individually employed caregivers
provide life-sustaining care for the bowel and bladder care
needs of veterans that allow them to live in their communities.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) family caregivers and individually employed caregivers
should not be subjected to self-employment taxes and treated as
vendors or contractors for the veterans to whom they provide
care;
(2) veterans should not be forced to finish their bowel and
bladder care needs in a set period of time that does not
consider their individual needs; and
(3) veterans should not be subjected to ongoing clinical
determinations regarding their bowel and bladder care needs
absent a decision by their medical care provider that such care
is no longer needed.
SEC. 3. BOWEL AND BLADDER CARE PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish
a program to address the bowel and bladder care needs of covered
veterans (in this section referred to as the ``program'').
(b) Provision of Care.--
(1) Clinical need.--The Secretary shall provide bowel and
bladder care under the program to covered veterans based on
clinical need, which may include covered veterans receiving aid
and attendance benefits from the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
(2) Caregiver or agency.--A covered veteran may receive
bowel and bladder care under the program through a qualified
family member, an individually employed caregiver, or a
contracted home health agency.
(3) Individualized assessment.--The Secretary shall conduct
an individualized assessment with respect to a covered veteran
to determine the number of hours of bowel and bladder care
needed by such veteran under the program.
(4) Denial of care.--Before denying bowel and bladder care
for any covered veteran under the program, the Secretary shall
first obtain review of and concurrence with respect to such
denial from a designated Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders
Center of the Department.
(c) Coordination of Care and Benefits.--The Secretary shall ensure
the program is coordinated with other programs and benefits of the
Department for which the covered veteran is eligible to ensure that
covered veterans and caregivers receive appropriate support without
duplicating benefits or services.
(d) Supportive Medical Training and Qualifications.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide to each family
member or individually employed caregiver providing care to a
covered veteran under the program necessary supportive medical
training to participate in and receive payment by the Secretary
for the provision of such care.
(2) Qualifications.--The Secretary shall establish such
requirements, conditions, and qualifications for providers of
care under the program as necessary to provide clinically
appropriate bowel and bladder care to covered veterans and to
ensure the financial and administrative integrity of the
program.
(e) Payment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide a monthly
stipend to family members and individually employed caregivers
and payment to contracted home health agencies for care
provided to covered veterans under the program.
(2) Limitation.--
(A) Family members and individually employed
caregivers.--The stipend for a family member or
individually employed caregiver for care provided to a
covered veteran under the program--
(i) shall be determined by the Secretary;
(ii) shall be based on the amount and
degree of assistance provided; and
(iii) may not exceed the fifth step of the
applicable grade of the General Schedule hourly
rate paid to nursing assistants who provide
such care at the medical facility of the
Department that is nearest to the residence of
such veteran.
(B) Home health agencies.--Payment to a home health
agency for care provided to a covered veteran under the
program may not exceed the payment rates of the
Department under section 17.4035 of title 38, Code of
Federal Regulations (relating to payment rates and
methodologies), or successor regulations.
(f) Submission of Documentation.--Family members and individually
employed caregivers providing care to covered veterans under the
program shall provide such documentation and information in such format
and under such terms as the Secretary may require as a condition of
receiving payment under the program.
(g) Continued Participation in Program.--If a covered veteran has
been medically determined to require care under the program for a
continuous period of three years or more, the veteran is deemed to
require such care for life or until such time as the medical provider
for such veteran determines the service is no longer needed.
(h) Not Vendors or Contractors.--Family members and individually
employed caregivers providing care to covered veterans under the
program shall not be considered vendors or contractors for purposes of
the program.
(i) Limitation.--Care may not be provided under the program to a
veteran who can perform the bowel and bladder functions of the veteran
without assistance.
(j) Covered Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered
veteran'' means a veteran who--
(1) is enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment
of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated
under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code;
(2) has a spinal cord injury or disorder; and
(3) is dependent upon others for bowel and bladder care
while residing in non-institutional settings.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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