VITAL Act of 2026
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Take Care of America's Veterans Act
This bill addresses veterans’ benefits, health care, counseling, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel, VA infrastructure, and the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP).
The bill modifies various compensation programs for veterans, including by (1) allowing concurrent receipt of disability compensation and military retired pay for certain retirees with a combat-related disability, (2) extending entitlement for various benefits and services to remarried surviving spouses, (3) increasing the rate of dependency and indemnity compensation, and (4) establishing a supplemental monthly allowance for certain disabled veterans.
The bill also addresses VA education and training benefits, including by (1) modifying which independent study programs are covered under veterans’ educational assistance benefits, (2) requiring Transition Assistance Program counseling to include a presentation about VA benefits, and (3) increasing the housing allowance rate for individuals pursuing apprenticeships.
The bill revises health care provisions, including by (1) expanding support and assistance provided to family caregivers, (2) extending the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, and (3) expanding the scope of VA mental health research.
Among other elements, the bill
- revises VA disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus;
- expands eligibility for a memorial headstone or marker for the spouse, surviving spouse, child, or dependent of a veteran or member of the Armed Forces;
- addresses the administration of the VCCP and codifies the eligibility standards;
- establishes a standardized screening process for priority or routine admission to certain mental health care programs; and
- addresses VA personnel, hiring, and infrastructure matters.
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 433.
- Placed on Calendar Senate Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4744/
"S. 4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4744/.
S. 4744, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4744/.
[S. 4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4744/)