[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1579 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1579

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise and improve the 
   authorities of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to the 
provision of counseling and treatment for sexual trauma experienced by 
                               veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 13, 1999

   Ms. Snowe introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise and improve the 
   authorities of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to the 
provision of counseling and treatment for sexual trauma experienced by 
                               veterans.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Sexual Trauma Treatment 
Act''.

SEC. 2. COUNSELING AND TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED 
              SEXUAL TRAUMA.

    (a) Duration of Program.--Section 1720D of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended in subsection (a)--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``During the period 
        through December 31, 2001, the'' and inserting ``The'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``During the period 
        referred to in paragraph (1), the'' and inserting ``The''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``, during the period 
        through December 31, 2001,''.
    (b) Mandatory Nature of Program.--Subsection (a) of such section is 
further amended in paragraphs (1) and (2) by striking ``may'' and 
inserting ``shall''.
    (c) Provision of Treatment for Sexual Trauma.--Such subsection is 
further amended in paragraphs (1) and (3) by inserting ``and 
treatment'' after ``counseling'' each place it appears.
    (d) Determinations To Be Made by Mental Health Professionals.--Such 
subsection is further amended in paragraph (1) by striking ``the 
Secretary determines'' and inserting ``a mental health professional 
employed by the Department determines''.
    (e) Outreach Efforts.--Subsection (c) of such section is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``and treatment'' in the first sentence 
        and in paragraph (2) after ``counseling'';
            (2) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (1);
            (3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
        paragraph (2):
            ``(2) shall ensure that information about the counseling 
        and treatment available to veterans under this section (which 
        information shall be revised and updated not less often than 
        every two years)--
                    ``(A) is made available and visibly posted at each 
                facility of the Department; and
                    ``(B) is advertised through public service 
                announcements, pamphlets, billboards, and other 
                appropriate means of communication; and''.
    (f) Persons Eligible for Counseling and Treatment.--Such section is 
further amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
        subsection (d):
    ``(d)(1) A veteran shall be eligible for counseling and treatment 
under this section without regard to the provisions of section 5303A of 
this title.
    ``(2) An individual who is a member of a reserve component shall be 
eligible for counseling and treatment under this section in the same 
manner as a veteran and without regard to the provisions of section 
5303A of this title.
    ``(3) An individual who is a former member of a reserve component 
(but who is not a veteran within the meaning of section 101 of this 
title) and who was discharged or released from service as a member of a 
reserve component under conditions other than dishonorable shall be 
eligible for counseling and treatment under this section in the same 
manner as a veteran and without regard to the provisions of section 
5303A of this title.''.
    (g) Oversight of Outreach Activities.--Not later than four months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall complete the design and updating of public service 
announcements, pamphlets, billboards, and other appropriate means of 
communication as required for implementation of paragraph (2) of 
section 1720D(c) of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
subsection (e)(3). Not later than six months after that date, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and House of Representatives examples of the documents and other 
means of communication developed for compliance with that paragraph.
    (h) Report on Implementation of Sexual Trauma Treatment Program.--
Not later than 14 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 
on the use made of the authority provided under section 1720D of title 
38, United States Code, as amended by this section. The report shall 
include the following with respect to activities under such section 
1720D since the enactment of such section 1720D:
            (1) The number of persons who have sought counseling under 
        such section 1720D.
            (2) The number of veterans who have received counseling 
        under such section.
            (3) The number of veterans who have been referred to non-
        Department mental health facilities and providers in connection 
        with sexual trauma counseling and treatment.
            (4) The number of veterans who have been determined by the 
        Secretary to have a service-connected disease or disability 
        resulting from sexual trauma.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON EFFORTS TO PROVIDE VETERANS WITH INFORMATION 
              CONCERNING SEXUAL TRAUMA COUNSELING AND TREATMENT 
              SERVICES.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 14 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional committees 
specified in subsection (b) a joint report describing in detail the 
collaborative efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the 
Department of Defense to ensure that members of the Armed Forces, upon 
separation from active military, naval, or air service, are provided 
appropriate and current information about programs of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to provide counseling and treatment for sexual trauma 
that may have been experienced by those members while in the active 
military, naval, or air service, including information about 
eligibility requirements for, and procedures for applying for, such 
counseling and treatment. The report shall include proposed 
recommendations from both the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
Secretary of Defense for the improvement of their collaborative efforts 
to provide such information.
    (b) Specified Committees.--The committees referred to in subsection 
(a) are the following:
            (1) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
            (2) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate.
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