H.R. 3888House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

To amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 8:36 AM UTC

The bill expands benefits for children of Vietnam veterans who were born with spina bifida and other veterans’ children who qualify for VA health care. It defines “covered child” and “covered veteran,” creates an advisory council and care‑coordination teams, and guarantees health care for the child’s entire life regardless of a parent’s death. The VA must also issue regular reports and set up a memorandum of understanding to guide these new services.

Key Provisions

Defines “covered child” as a child eligible for VA health care and benefits, and “covered veteran” as a veteran whose children qualify for those benefits.
Establishes an advisory council of federal employees to gather feedback from covered children and veterans and advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Creates care and coordination teams that must contact each covered child at least every 180 days and promptly after certain health conditions are identified.
Guarantees that covered children receive health care and benefits for the duration of their lives, even if a parent dies before them.
Requires the Secretary to submit a biennial report to Congress on the number of covered children receiving benefits, social‑worker support, and outreach metrics.
Mandates a memorandum of understanding between the VA’s Under Secretaries for Benefits and Health to coordinate assistance for covered children and set condition‑trigger lists.
Sets implementation deadlines: advisory council within 270 days of enactment and care‑coordination teams within one year.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

July 10, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 7, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

June 7, 2023

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

July 10, 2023

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about H.R. 3888 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Rep. Mark TakanoD-CA-39 · Sep 18, 2023

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 112, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Braun of Indiana. This legislation aims to…

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 112, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Braun of Indiana.

This legislation aims to strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs' administration of an existing program that provides healthcare benefits and compensation to children of Vietnam war veterans who were born with spina bifida. This bill is endorsed by the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Spina bifida is a birth defect that can cause paralysis, nerve damage, and bowel and bladder problems. Children born with spina bifida may receive benefits from VA if one of their biological parents is a veteran presumed to have been exposed to herbicides such as Agent Orange during the Vietnam war.

The program is jointly administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration, or VBA, and the Veterans Health Administration, or VHA. It provides a monetary allowance, healthcare coverage, and vocational training and rehabilitation. As of 2022, fewer than 1,000 beneficiaries were enrolled in the program.

According to a 2021 VA Office of Inspector General report examining the VA's administration of this program, VBA and VHA were not adequately communicating or sharing data on spina bifida program beneficiaries. This contributed to delays in some new beneficiaries being enrolled in healthcare and improper payments being sent to some beneficiaries after their deaths.

The inspector general also found the VA did not consistently conduct outreach to eligible and enrolled beneficiaries and did not provide effective case management services for the most seriously disabled beneficiaries. In some cases, VA's call center agents provided inaccurate information about the spina bifida program or could not direct callers to reliable sources of information.

S. 112 directs VA to establish an advisory council for the spina bifida program, which would be responsible for soliciting feedback from covered children and veterans about the program's effectiveness. This legislation also requires VA to establish care coordination teams, which will contact beneficiaries at least once every 180 days to ensure they are accessing needed care. Finally, S. 112 would require VA to report to Congress every 2 years on the number of covered children receiving benefits, the number of children receiving care coordination, and the outcome of the outreach conducted to these populations.

Madam Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation, and I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing S. 112 to strengthen VA's benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Mike BostR-IL-12 · Sep 18, 2023

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 112) to amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for…

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 112) to amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Senator Braun of Indiana's bill, S. 112, which strengthens the spina bifida program at VA.

Children who are born to veterans exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides have a higher risk of being born with this condition. Their condition can range from mild to severe, but children faced with this lifelong impact of spina bifida have many special needs.

Under current law, the VA Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program provides monetary and healthcare benefits to select children of Vietnam-era veterans and veterans of covered service in Korea or Thailand.

Senator Braun's commonsense legislation would improve the current program by establishing care and coordination teams for these children to ensure they have the care and support and continued connections that they need for their entire lives.

Additionally, this bill would require VA to create an advisory council on healthcare and benefits for children living with spina bifida. This council would solicit feedback on healthcare, job training, and monetary benefits to ensure that these children have access to leading therapies and medical research.

For a lot of veterans' families, I know this legislation would make a real difference in their daily lives.

I thank Representative Baird for his work on this issue and for introducing the House companion to this bill, H.R. 3888.

I know these Members have heard from Hoosiers about this problem for many years, and I appreciate their efforts to help their constituents and other families.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 112 today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 7, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3888

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 7, 2023

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

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for other purposes.

Benefits for certain children of Vietnam veterans and certain other veterans

(a)

Definitions

Section 1831 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraphs:

(2)

The term covered child means a child who is eligible for health care and benefits under this chapter.

(3)

The term covered veteran means an individual whose children are eligible for health care and benefits under this chapter.

(b)

In general

Subchapter IV of chapter 18 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new sections:

1835.

Advisory council

(a)

In general

The Secretary shall establish an advisory council on health care and benefits for covered children.

(b)

Membership

The advisory council established under subsection (a) shall be composed of Federal employees.

(c)

Duties

The advisory council established under subsection (a) shall solicit feedback from covered children and covered veterans on the health care and benefits provided under this chapter and communicate such feedback to the Secretary.

1836.

Care and coordination teams

(a)

In general

The Secretary shall establish care and coordination teams for covered children.

(b)

Outreach

A care and coordination team established under subsection (a) shall attempt to contact each covered child—

(1)

not less frequently than once every 180 days, to ensure the continued care of the child and assist with any changes in care needed due to a changed situation of the child; and

(2)

as soon as practicable after the identification of a condition listed in the report required by subsection (c).

(c)

Report

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report setting forth a list of conditions that will trigger outreach to covered children under subsection (b)(2).

1837.

Duration of health care and benefits provided

The Secretary shall provide a covered child with health care and benefits under this chapter—

(1)

for the duration of the life of the child; and

(2)

notwithstanding any death of a parent of the child that precedes the death of the child.

1838.

Biennial report

Not less frequently than once every two years, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report setting forth the following:

(1)

The number of covered children receiving health care or benefits under this chapter as of the date on which the report is submitted.

(2)

The number of covered children for which the Department is paying for or providing a social worker as of such date.

(3)

Metrics on outreach conducted under section 1836(b) of this title.

(c)

Memorandum of understanding

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Under Secretary for Health of the Department shall enter into a memorandum of understanding—

(1)

to better assist covered children (as defined in section 1831 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a)); and

(2)

to establish conditions to be included in the report required by section 1836(c) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (b).

(d)

Implementation

(1)

Advisory council

Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish the advisory council required under section 1835 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (b).

(2)

Care and coordination teams

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish the care and coordination teams required under section 1836 of such title, as added by subsection (b).

(e)

Clerical amendment

The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 18 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new items:

1835. Advisory council.

1836. Care and coordination teams.

1837. Duration of health care and benefits provided.

1838. Biennial report.