[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2500 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2500

  To enhance the counseling and readjustment services provided by the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 4, 2006

 Mr. Akaka (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. Kerry) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To enhance the counseling and readjustment services provided by the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Healing the Invisible Wounds Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. NOTICE AND WAIT ON MODIFICATION OF HANDLING OF POST-TRAUMATIC 
              STRESS DISORDER UNDER DISABILITY COMPENSATION RATING 
              SYSTEM.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not implement any 
modification in the manner in which Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 
(PTSD) is handled in the rating of service-connected disabilities for 
purposes of the payment of compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, 
United States Code, until the date that is six months after the date on 
which the Secretary submits to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of 
the Senate and House of Representatives a report on such proposed 
modification.

SEC. 3. COUNSELING FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES 
              RETURNING FROM DEPLOYMENT IN A COMBAT THEATER.

    (a) Expansion of Reunion and Re-Entry From Combat Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall provide to 
        each member of the National Guard and Reserves described in 
        subsection (b) the counseling services described in subsection 
        (c) upon the return of such member from a deployment in a 
        combat theater.
            (2) Purpose of services.--The purpose of the counseling 
        services provided under this section is to assist members of 
        the National Guard and Reserves described in subsection (b) in 
        making the readjustment to civilian life in the United States 
        upon their return from a combat theater.
    (b) Covered Members of the National Guard and Reserves.--A member 
of the National Guard and Reserves described in this subsection is any 
member of the National Guard or the Reserves who serves on active duty 
in a combat theater.
    (c) Counseling To Be Provided.--The counseling services to be 
provided under this subsection shall include the following:
            (1) A session of group counseling provided to such member 
        together with such other number of members as the Secretary 
        determines appropriate for the purpose of this section.
            (2) A session, of not less than one hour duration, of 
        private counseling provided to such member.
            (3) A presentation on counseling-related matters, including 
        on the readjustment counseling and related mental health 
        services available under section 1712A of title 38, United 
        States Code, provided to the family of such member.
            (4) Such other counseling services as the Secretary 
        determines appropriate for the purpose of this section.
    (d) Means of Providing Counseling.--Counseling services shall be 
provided under this section through the personnel of the centers 
(commonly referred to as ``vet centers'') providing readjustment 
counseling and related mental health services for veterans under 
section 1712A of title 38, United States Code.
    (e) Timing of Counseling.--The counseling provided to a member of 
the National Guard and Reserves under paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (c) shall be provided not later than 14 days after the date 
of the return of the member to the member's home following a deployment 
to a combat theater.
    (f) Retention on Active Duty Pending Counseling.--A member of the 
National Guard and Reserves described in subsection (a) shall be 
retained on active duty in the Armed Forces until the provision of the 
counseling required to be provided under paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (c).
    (g) Additional Counseling.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
centers referred to in subsection (d), as part of the discharge of 
their functions under section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, 
provide, and have sufficient resources to provide, such follow-up and 
additional counseling services to veterans described in subsection (a) 
as such veterans shall request from such centers, in accordance with 
applicable law.
    (h) Report.--
            (1) Report required.--Not later than one year after the 
        date of the commencement of the provision of counseling 
        services under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        appropriate committees of Congress a report on the provision of 
        such services under this section.
            (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include information as follows:
                    (A) The cost of the provision of counseling 
                services under this section.
                    (B) An assessment of the efficacy of such services 
                in meeting the readjustment needs of veterans described 
                in subsection (a).
                    (C) An assessment (based on surveys or such 
                information as the Secretary considers appropriate) of 
                the satisfaction of veterans described in subsection 
                (a) with the services provided under this section, 
                including the manner in which such services are 
                provided.
                    (D) The number of followup visits for counseling 
                and services of veterans described in subsection (a) 
                and the number of visits of family members of such 
                veterans for counseling and services.
                    (E) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate in order to enhance the services provided 
                under this section, including the manner in which such 
                services are provided.
    (i) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
            (1) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services 
        of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services 
        of the House of Representatives.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 
2007, such sums as may be necessary for the provision of counseling 
services under this section.

SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR VET CENTERS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007, $180,000,000 for the provision 
of readjustment counseling and related mental health services through 
centers (commonly referred to as ``vet centers'') under section 1712A 
of title 38, United States Code.
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