119-hr3027

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3027 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3027

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a counseling 
 program for certain survivors of veterans who die by suicide.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 24, 2025

 Mr. Van Drew introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a counseling 
 program for certain survivors of veterans who die by suicide.

 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 ``Green Star Families Act''.

SEC. 2. COUNSELING PROGRAM FOR NEXT OF KIN AND CAREGIVERS OF VETERANS 
 WHO DIE BY SUICIDE.

    (a) Establishment.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section 
(and amending the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter 
accordingly):
``

Sec. 1720M. Counseling program for next of kin and caregivers of 
 veterans who die by suicide
 ``

    (a) Counseling Program.--

    (1) Subject to paragraph

    (2) , the 
Secretary shall furnish, at no cost to the recipient, counseling 
services to--
 ``
        (A) the next of kin of a veteran who dies by suicide; and
 ``
        (B) a former volunteer caregiver of a veteran who dies by 
 suicide.
 ``

    (2) The Secretary may provide counseling services under this 
section only if the Secretary determines such counseling services are--
 ``
        (A) reasonably accessible to an individual described in 
 paragraph

    (1) ; and
 ``
        (B) substantially equivalent or superior to similar 
 services furnished by the Secretary to an individual described 
 in paragraph

    (1) .
 ``

    (3) To carry out subsection

    (a) , the Secretary may enter into an 
agreement with a Federal, State, or private entity. The Secretary may 
provide fair compensation to such entity pursuant to such agreement.
 ``

    (b) Public Awareness.--In carrying out the program under 
subsection

    (a) , the Secretary shall--
 ``

    (1) publish information relating to the program on a 
 website of the Department; and
 ``

    (2) provide information relating to the program to any 
 individual described in paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
            (c) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) The term `covered veterans service organization' 
 includes--
 ``
        (A) an organization recognized by the Secretary 
 for the representation of veterans under 

section 5902 
 of this title; and
 ``
        (B) an organization--
 ``
            (i) that is described in 

section 501
            (c) (3) or 501
            (c) (19) of the Internal Revenue 
 Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under 
 

section 501

    (a) of such Code; and
 ``
            (ii) that carries out activities relating 
 to veterans and their assistance.
 ``

    (2) The term `former volunteer caregiver' means, with 
 respect to a veteran who dies by suicide, an individual--
 ``
        (A) who is at least 18 years of age; and
 ``
        (B) who, prior to the death of the veteran, and 
 in connection with a covered veterans service 
 organization, furnished the veteran with counseling, 
 social work, or other personal care services--
 ``
            (i) without compensation to such 
 individual; and
 ``
            (ii) for a period of at least three 
 months.
 ``

    (3) The term `next of kin' means the closest living 
 relative of a veteran who dies by suicide, in the following 
 order of priority:
 ``
        (A) Spouse.
 ``
        (B) A child.
 ``
            (C) A parent.
 ``
            (D) A sibling.
 ``
        (E) Another individual determined by the 
 Secretary.
 ``

    (4) The term `personal care services' has the meaning 
 given such term in 

section 1720G of this title.''.

    (b) Implementation Deadline.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall carry out 

section 1720M of such title, as added by subsection

    (a) , not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
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