Provisions of the comprehensive Cleland-Dole Act

The Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2022, also known as the Cleland-Dole Act, was signed into law in December 2022. The act addresses Veteran homelessness, telehealth and long-term care.

It will also address prostate cancer research, rural health, substance use disorder, mental health, access to care, non-VA care, Vet Centers, educational assistance, beneficiary travel, beneficiary debt collection and the G.I. Bill.

The law contains 80 sections requiring VA to work collaboratively with the Department of Labor to begin implementing the plan with a finalization date of October 2029. The Cleland-Dole Act aligns with local, state and national efforts to increase care access, expand and remove mental health care barriers, increase support to case managers and expand homelessness programs.

To be implemented over the next five years, the law also calls for developing a self-scheduling pilot program so Veterans can set and manage community care appointments.

The highest quality care where and when needed

The law will help VA recruit and retain high-caliber researchers, and it enhances care solutions for rural and aging Veterans in long-term care and State Veterans Homes. The law also provides oversight of VA programs and expands health care eligibility to Veterans of World War II. 

Building on VA’s mission to positively impact the lives of Veterans by delivering the highest quality care where and when needed, the Cleland-Dole Act will review VA rural transportation programs and telehealth services for rural Veterans and help VA meet the unique health care needs of our nation’s heroes.

To learn how the Cleland-Dole Act may apply to you, contact your VA primary care provider.

Honoring Senators Robert Dole and Joseph Cleland

The late Senator Robert Joseph Dole (1923–2021) was a Representative and Senator from Kansas. During the Second World War, Dole served as a combat infantry officer in Italy. He was wounded twice and hospitalized for 39 months.

Dole was awarded two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star with an Oak Cluster for his military service. He held numerous positions in government, including campaigning for president in 1996.

The late Senator Joseph Maxwell Cleland (August 1942–2021) was a Representative and Senator from Georgia. After returning from the Vietnam War, having lost three limbs, he entered politics. In 1977, Cleland was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to lead the then-known Veterans Administration. He was the youngest ever Administrator of the VA and the first Vietnam Veteran to head the agency.

Cleland led VA to recognize, and begin to treat, post-traumatic stress disorder in Veterans suffering the invisible wounds of war. In December 2022, the Atlanta VA in Georgia was renamed the Joseph Maxwell Cleland VA Medical Center to honor his achievements.