The Veterans Cannabis Analysis, Research, and Effectiveness (CARE) Act was introduced in the 117th U.S. Congress in 2021 as H.R. 2932 and in the 118th Congress as H.R. 3584 in 2023.
The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of certain forms of cannabis and cannabis delivery for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system and diagnosed with conditions such as chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder.
The 2021 bill was advanced to committees but did not reach the floor. [1] The latter bill was announced in April, [2] and introduced by Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican, in May, 2023, [3] and the United States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health held hearings on the bill on March 21, 2024. [4] At the hearings, the VA supported the bill with amendments. [5]
Jefferson Bingham Miller is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district from 2001 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, his district included all of Escambia County, Santa Rosa County, Okaloosa County, Walton County, Holmes County and Washington County.
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The standing Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the United States House of Representatives oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new bills or amendments concerning U.S. military veterans. Jurisdiction includes retiring and disability pensions, life insurance, education, vocational training, medical care, and home loan guarantees. The committee oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans' hospitals, and veterans' cemeteries, except cemeteries under the Secretary of the Interior.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 is a bill that would give the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs the authority to remove or demote any individual from the Senior Executive Service upon determining that such individual's performance warrants removal or demotion. The bill was written in response to a scandal indicating that some VA hospitals were keeping secret waiting lists for care, the length of which may have led to the deaths of some veterans.
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The Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, also known as the Veterans Choice Act, is a United States public law that is intended to address the ongoing Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014. The law expanded the number of options veterans have for receiving care and granted the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs more power to fire senior executives. The Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014 began with the discovery that there was on-going systematic lying by the Veterans Health Administration about the wait times veterans experienced waiting to be seen by doctors. By June 5, 2014, Veterans Affairs internal investigations had identified a total of 35 veterans who had died while waiting for care in the Phoenix VHA system. Another audit determined that "more than 57,000 veterans waited at least 90 days to see a doctor, while another 63,000 over the last decade never received an initial appointment."
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This article incorporates public domain material from Summary of H.R. 3584: Veterans CARE Act. Congressional Research Service.