[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1448 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1448

   To improve the treatment provided to veterans suffering from post-
                       traumatic stress disorder.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 21, 2005

Mr. Durbin (for himself and Mrs. Boxer) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To improve the treatment provided to veterans suffering from post-
                       traumatic stress disorder.

    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 ``Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 
Treatment Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVED TREATMENT OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
            (1) establish a post-traumatic stress disorder clinical 
        team at every Medical Center of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs;
            (2) provide a certified family therapist for each Vet 
        Center of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
            (3) appoint a post-traumatic stress disorder coordinator 
        within each Veteran Integrated Service Network and within each 
        Readjustment Counseling Service Region.
    (b) Duties of PTSD Coordinator.--Each coordinator appointed for a 
network or region under subsection (a)(3) shall--
            (1) evaluate post-traumatic stress disorder and family 
        therapy treatment programs within the network or region;
            (2) identify and disseminate best practices on evaluation 
        and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and on family 
        therapy treatment, within the network or region and to other 
        networks and regions; and
            (3) recommend the resource allocation necessary to meet 
        post-traumatic stress disorder and family therapy treatment 
        needs within the network or region.
    (c) Waiver.--Beginning on the date that is 5 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
waive any requirement of this Act for the fiscal year beginning after 
that date if the Secretary, not later than 90 days before the beginning 
of such fiscal year, submits to Congress a report--
            (1) notifying Congress of the proposed waiver;
            (2) explaining why the requirement is not necessary; and
            (3) describing how post-traumatic stress disorder services 
        and family therapy services will be provided to all veterans 
        who may need such services.
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