[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2226 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2226

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide readjustment 
 counseling and related mental health services to veterans through the 
                         use of mobile centers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2007

Mr. Welch of Vermont introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide readjustment 
 counseling and related mental health services to veterans through the 
                         use of mobile centers.

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

SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM FOR DELIVERY OF READJUSTMENT COUNSELING AND 
              MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO VETERANS THROUGH MOBILE VET 
              CENTERS.

    (a) Pilot Program.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 1712B the following new section:
``Sec. 1712C. Pilot program for delivery of readjustment counseling and 
              mental health services through mobile Vet Centers
    ``(a) Pilot Program.--To improve access to mental health services 
in rural areas, the Secretary shall carry out a pilot program under 
which the Secretary shall provide readjustment counseling and related 
mental health services through the use of mobile centers (as that term 
is defined in section 1712A(i)(1)), to be known as `mobile Vet 
Centers'. In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall 
determine the most effective manner in which to operate the mobile Vet 
Centers.
    ``(b) Scope and Location.--(1) The Secretary shall establish two 
mobile Vet Centers in each of the following five Veterans Integrated 
Service Networks:
            ``(A) Veterans Integrated Service Network 1.
            ``(B) Veterans Integrated Service Network 16.
            ``(C) Veterans Integrated Service Network 19.
            ``(D) Veterans Integrated Service Network 20.
            ``(E) Veterans Integrated Service Network 23.
    ``(2) Within each Veterans Integrated Service Network under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall determine the area to be serviced by 
each mobile Vet Center. In making that determination, the Secretary 
shall give priority to areas in which limited mental health services 
are available.
    ``(3) If the Secretary determines that mobile Vet Centers in 
addition to such centers required under paragraph (1) are warranted, 
the Secretary may establish additional mobile Vet Centers and may 
establish such centers in Veterans Integrated Service Networks other 
than the Veterans Integrated Service Networks referred to in that 
paragraph. Upon such a determination by the Secretary, the Secretary 
shall notify the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and 
House of Representatives of such determination.
    ``(c) Termination.--The authority to carry out a pilot program 
under this section shall terminate on the date that is three years 
after the date of the enactment of this section.
    ``(d) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date on which the 
pilot program terminates under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House 
of Representatives a report on the pilot program. Such report shall 
describe how the Secretary established and carried out the pilot 
program and include an evaluation of the Secretary of the benefits and 
disadvantages of providing readjustment counseling and related mental 
health services through the use of mobile Vet Centers.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item related to section 
1712B the following new item:

``1712C. Pilot program for delivery of readjustment counseling and 
                            mental health services through mobile Vet 
                            Centers.''.
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