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S 543 111th Congress Senate Armed Forces and National Security Disability and paralysis Health facilities and institutions Mental health Military medicine Military personnel and dependents Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation Veterans' medical care

Veteran and Servicemember Caregiver Support Act of 2009

Introduced: March 6, 2009 Introduced by: Durbin, Richard J. Democratic · Illinois See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 6, 2009
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2866-2867)
Mar 6, 2009
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2867-2869)
Mar 6, 2009
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Veteran and Servicemember Caregiver Support Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a two-year pilot program of training, certification, and support for eligible family caregivers of eligible veterans and members of the Armed Forces.

Defines as: (1) eligible family caregivers those family members who agree to provide such services, are accepted by the veteran or member as the provider, and are determined qualified to provide such services; and (2) eligible veterans and members those veterans and members who have a service-connected disability incurred or aggravated on or after September 11, 2001, and require caregiver services because of such disability.

Requires: (1) the pilot program to be conducted at at least six medical facilities; (2) at least one facility to be a private facility with expertise in providing rehabilitative care; (3) at least one facility to be a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in a rural area; and (4) the Secretary, in selecting locations, to give special emphasis to VA polytrauma centers designated as Tier I polytrauma centers.

Directs the Secretary to provide training to each eligible family caregiver under the program, and to certify the caregiver as qualified upon training completion. Requires caregivers to be paid for providing such services.

Requires: (1) a review of VA and Department of Defense (DOD) respite care programs, as well as a study on enhancing the availability of such programs; (2) the provision of psychological and social support services to caregivers; and (3) a national survey of family caregivers of seriously disabled veterans and members.

What's happening now March 6, 2009

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2867-2869)

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 543: Veteran and Servicemember Caregiver Support Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-543/
MLA
"S. 543: Veteran and Servicemember Caregiver Support Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-543/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 543, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-543/.
Markdown link
[S. 543: Veteran and Servicemember Caregiver Support Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-S-543/)
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