[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2689 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2689

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program for 
 the provision of readjustment and mental health services to veterans 
 who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 12, 2007

  Mr. Rodriguez (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Sires, and Mr. Pearce) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program for 
 the provision of readjustment and mental health services to veterans 
 who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, 
                        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. PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF READJUSTMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE 
              SERVICES TO VETERANS WHO SERVED IN OPERATION IRAQI 
              FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.

    (a) Program Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish a program to provide--
            (1) to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 
        Enduring Freedom, particularly veterans who served in such 
        operations while in the National Guard and the Reserves--
                    (A) peer outreach services;
                    (B) peer support services;
                    (C) readjustment counseling and services described 
                in section 1712A of title 38, United States Code; and
                    (D) mental health services; and
            (2) to members of the immediate family of such a veteran, 
        during the three-year period beginning on the date of the 
        return of such veteran from deployment in Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, education, support, 
        counseling, and mental health services to assist in--
                    (A) the readjustment of such veteran to civilian 
                life;
                    (B) in the case such veteran has an injury or 
                illness incurred during such deployment, the recovery 
                of such veteran; and
                    (C) the readjustment of the family following the 
                return of such veteran.
    (b) Contracts With Community Mental Health Centers and Qualified 
Entities for Provision of Services.--In carrying out the program 
required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall contract with community 
mental health centers and other qualified entities to provide the 
services required by such subsection in areas the Secretary determines 
are not adequately served by other health care facilities of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. Such contracts shall require each 
contracting community health center or entity--
            (1) to the extent practicable, to employ veterans trained 
        under subsection (c);
            (2) to the extent practicable, to use telehealth services 
        for the delivery of services required by subsection (a);
            (3) to participate in the training program conducted in 
        accordance with subsection (d);
            (4) to comply with applicable protocols of the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs before incurring any liability on behalf of 
        the Department for the provision of the services required by 
        subsection (a);
            (5) to submit annual reports to the Secretary containing, 
        with respect to the program required by subsection (a) and for 
        the last full calendar year ending before the submission of 
        such report--
                    (A) the number of the veterans served, veterans 
                diagnosed, and courses of treatment provided to 
                veterans as part of the program required by subsection 
                (a); and
                    (B) demographic information for such services, 
                diagnoses, and courses of treatment;
            (6) for each veteran for whom a community mental health 
        center or other qualified entity provides mental health 
        services under such contract, to provide the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs with such clinical summary information as the 
        Secretary shall require; and
            (7) to meet such other requirements as the Secretary shall 
        require.
    (c) Training of Veterans for the Provision of Peer-Outreach and 
Peer-Support Services.--In carrying out the program required by 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall contract with a national not-for-
profit mental health organization to carry out a national program of 
training for veterans described in subsection (a) to provide the 
services described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) of 
such subsection.
    (d) Training of Clinicians for Provision of Services.--The 
Secretary shall conduct a training program for clinicians of community 
mental health centers or entities that have contracts with the 
Secretary under subsection (b) to ensure that such clinicians can 
provide the services required by subsection (a) in a manner that--
            (1) recognizes factors that are unique to the experience of 
        veterans who served on active duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom 
        or Operation Enduring Freedom (including their combat and 
        military training experiences); and
            (2) utilizes best practices and technologies.
    (e) Reports Required.--
            (1) Initial report on plan for implementation.--Not later 
        than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
        the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House 
        of Representatives a report containing the plans of the 
        Secretary to implement the program required by subsection (a).
            (2) Status report.--Not later than one year after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
        on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report 
        on the implementation of the program. Such report shall include 
        the following:
                    (A) Information on the number of veterans who 
                received services as part of the program and the type 
                of services received during the last full calendar year 
                completed before the submission of such report.
                    (B) An evaluation of the provision of services 
                under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) and a 
                recommendation as to whether the period described in 
                such paragraph should be extended to a five-year 
                period.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTH CARE SERVICES FROM 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR VETERANS OF SERVICE IN 
              COMBAT THEATER.

    Section 1710(e)(3)(C) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ``2 years'' and inserting ``5 years''.
                                 <all>