Murray, Boozman Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Support for Disabled Veterans and Their Families, Including Young Caregivers

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and John Boozman (R-AR), senior members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, reintroduced their Helping Heroes Act, legislation to support the families of disabled veterans, including children who take on caregiving roles.

The Helping Heroes Act recognizes the work done by the approximately 2.3

million children under the age of 18 living in a household with a disabled veteran, who provide invaluable support to their veteran family members and, in doing so, face unique challenges and often take on responsibilities that their peers do not carry. The bill seeks to improve the support and assistance provided to these children—including mental health care, peer support, and other supportive services that can help children in veteran families lead healthier lives. More about this issue can be found in this report commissioned by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation on supporting the healthy development of children from military and veteran caregiving homes.

“I’m proud to reintroduce my bipartisan legislation to help VA better support the families of disabled veterans—especially children who frequently take on caregiving roles in their families and could benefit from additional supportive services,” said Senator Murray. “Veterans and their families have sacrificed so much for our country, and we have a responsibility to make sure the federal government is there for them and that we’re constantly working to improve the services they get through VA.”

“Investing in the families of our veterans is part of the commitment we have made to those who have served,” said Senator Boozman. “By expanding the VA’s capabilities and resources to better support the needs of caregivers, including the children of disabled veterans, they will benefit in their own lives as well as enjoy more access to comprehensive tools and networks. Better grasping and responding to the impact of caring for their loved ones is an important step to raise their quality of life.”

In addition to Senators Murray and Boozman, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) are original cosponsors of the legislation.

Specifically, the Helping Heroes Act would:

• Establish a permanent Family Support Program to provide supportive services to eligible family members of disabled veterans.
• Require a coordinator at each VISN to assess the needs of veteran families in their catchment area and refer them to available local, state, and federal resources.
• Require VA to collect data on the experiences of disabled veteran families to better identify and understand their needs.

The Helping Heroes Act is supported by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation,  Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), The American Legion, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), American Veterans (AMVETS), and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA).

Senator Murray, the daughter of a WWII veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during her childhood, has been a longtime advocate of veterans and has placed an emphasis on expanding benefits and support for veteran caregivers. During her time as Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator Murray oversaw the initial implementation of the Caregiver Support Program in 2011 and has been following its implementation closely and worked diligently to expand it since then.  Senator Murray has long pushed back against efforts to curtail eligibility of the program, and she urged former VA Secretary Denis McDonough to revise VA’s unnecessarily restrictive criteria for caregivers program to ensure it aligns with Congressional intent so that veterans and their families can access the critical services and care they have earned.

In September 2022, following Murray’s push, VA announced that it would extend eligibility for its Caregivers program for legacy participants through September 2025. Senator Murray’s Helping Heroes Act, which she has introduced every Congress since 2022, builds on her longtime efforts to support veteran families and caregivers.

The full text of the legislation is HERE.