[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 548 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 548

To improve mental health programs for veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 6, 2003

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To improve mental health programs for veterans, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR COUNSELING AND TREATMENT OF VETERANS 
              FOR SEXUAL TRAUMA.

    Section 1720D of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``During the 
                period through December 31, 2004, the Secretary'' and 
                inserting ``The Secretary''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``, during the 
                period through December 31, 2004,''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``establishment 
                and''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``establishing a 
                program'' and inserting ``operating a program''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO OPERATE ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
              CENTERS FOR MENTAL ILLNESS RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND 
              CLINICAL ACTIVITIES.

    Section 7320(b)(3) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``five centers'' and inserting ``15 centers''.

SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF PROGRAM FOR PROVISION OF SPECIALIZED MENTAL 
              HEALTH SERVICES TO VETERANS.

    (a) Increase in Funding.--Subsection (c) of section 116 of the 
Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act (Public Law 106-117; 
113 Stat. 1559; 38 U.S.C. 1712A note) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$15,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$25,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 
        2006'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``$15,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$25,000,000''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(3)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
    ``(B) For purposes of this paragraph, in fiscal years 2004, 2005, 
and 2006, the fiscal year utilized to determine the baseline amount 
shall be fiscal year 2003.''.
    (b) Allocation of Funds.--Subsection (d) of that section is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting ``(1) In 
        each of fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 2006, the Secretary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
    ``(2) In allocating funds to facilities in a fiscal year under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that--
            ``(A) not less than $10,000,000 is allocated by direct 
        grants to programs that are identified by the Mental Health 
        Strategic Health Care Group and the Committee on Care of 
        Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans;
            ``(B) not less than $5,000,000 is allocated for programs on 
        post-traumatic stress disorder; and
            ``(C) not less than $5,000,000 is allocated for programs on 
        substance abuse disorder.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall provide that the funds to be allocated 
under this section during each of fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 2006 are 
funds for a special purpose program for which funds are not allocated 
through the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation system.''.
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