WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Representative Jen Kiggans’ (R-VA) bill, the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement (COPE) Act, unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The COPE Act would increase mental health resources available to caregivers of America’s veteran population by establishing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grant programs for entities that support caregiver mental health and well-being.

"We are lucky to have the Coatesville VA Medical Center in my community and other VA health systems nearby in Lebanon and Philadelphia. Sadly, many veterans across the country don't have a VA health system nearby, meaning those veterans' family members have to step in and help provide care," said Rep. Houlahan. "These family caregivers often require support of their own to perform what can be a physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing job of veteran caregiving. I am proud to see our bipartisan bill establishing a grant program to expand access to and availability of mental health resources for caregivers passed by the House! The program will provide counseling, treatment, and other support to benefit veterans and their families in Pennsylvania and beyond."

“Improving the lives of our nation’s heroes is one of my top priorities in Congress,” said Rep. Kiggans. “With the passage of my COPE Act today, we are taking several important steps to ensure our veterans are receiving the quality healthcare they have earned and deserve in a safe environment. As the granddaughter of a veteran, the daughter of a veteran, the wife of a veteran, the mother of future veterans, and having served 10 years in the Navy as a helicopter pilot, I will always fight to provide our former servicemembers with a VA care system they can depend on.”

The bill is endorsed by AARP.

“AARP is pleased to endorse the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement Act,” said Bill Sweeney, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for AARP. “We applaud Congresswomen Kiggans and Houlahan’s bipartisan efforts to support the 6.5 million military and veteran family caregivers by improving their access to mental health counseling and treatment.”

This is the second time in a week that one of Rep. Houlahan’s bills was unanimously passed by the House. One week ago today, the House voted through Houlahan’s Small Business Contracting Transparency Act of 2023.

BACKGROUND

The Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement (COPE) Act

The VA maintains several programs that provide certifications and resources to veterans’ caregivers, including the Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) and the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). The PFCAC is a more robust program specifically targeted toward family members or close friends who decide to take on caregiver responsibility for veterans.

Under these programs, caregivers are defined as any person who provides personal care services to a veteran enrolled in VA healthcare who either needs assistance with one or more activities of daily living, or needs supervision or protection based on symptoms or residuals of neurological impairment or other impairment or injury. 

The COPE Act authorizes the VA to provide grants to organizations whose mission is focused on the mental healthcare of participants in the PFCAC. It also requires the VA to provide outreach to registered caregivers and requires both the VA and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide Congress with research on the program and its outcomes. The full text of the bill can be found here.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward” and the Congressional Management Foundation’s 2022 Democracy Award for best Constituent Services in Congress.

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