[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4231 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4231

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
   program to provide mental health services to certain veterans of 
        Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 15, 2007

Mr. Kagen (for himself, Mr. Shuler, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Wamp, 
  Mr. Taylor, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. 
Melancon, Mr. Sestak, Mr. Carney, Mr. Holden, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Berkley, 
Mrs. Boyda of Kansas, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Filner, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Scott of 
  Virginia, Mr. Baca, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Braley of Iowa, Mr. Dicks, Ms. 
Herseth Sandlin, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. McDermott, Ms. Tsongas, 
      Mr. Perlmutter, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Altmire, and Mr. Larson of 
 Connecticut) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
   program to provide mental health services to certain veterans of 
        Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    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 ``Rural Veterans Health Care Access 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) One out of every six veterans who have returned from 
        serving in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom have diagnosable post-traumatic stress disorder.
            (2) The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department 
        of Defense face a shortfall of trained mental health 
        professionals.
            (3) The demands placed on the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs health care system exceed the capacity of that system 
        to serve veterans.
            (4) Veterans who live in rural areas serviced by distant 
        Department of Veterans Affairs facilities have no option other 
        than excessive travel for diagnosis and long-term treatment.
            (5) The variety of mental ailments acquired during or as a 
        result of deployment in a war zone frequently require long-
        term, intensive, and highly-personalized care.
            (6) The system of the Veterans Health Administration of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs in effect as of the date of the 
        enactment of this Act for providing long-term mental health 
        care creates unnecessary and unacceptable stress for veterans 
        and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (7) The long-term needs associated with mental health 
        conditions require a positive change in the way the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs provides mental health services.

SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO CERTAIN 
              VETERANS OF CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
establish and carry out a pilot program to provide mental health 
counseling to eligible veterans at facilities other than medical 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (b) Eligible Veteran.--For purposes of this section, the term 
``eligible veteran'' means a veteran who--
            (1) served on active duty in support of a contingency 
        operation, as that term is defined in section 101(13) of title 
        10, United States Code;
            (2) is eligible to receive hospital care and medical 
        services under section 1710 of title 38, United States Code;
            (3) has been diagnosed with a mental health condition for 
        which a certified mental health provider has recommended the 
        veteran receive mental health counseling; and
            (4) resides at least 30 miles from a medical facility of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs that employs a full-time 
        mental health professional.
    (c) Provision of Vouchers.--
            (1) Vouchers.--
                    (A) Six month supply.--Under the pilot program 
                established under subsection (a), upon the request of 
                an eligible veteran, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
                shall issue to the eligible veteran a six-month supply 
                of vouchers that may be used to provide for full 
                payment for counseling services provided by any mental 
                health provider on the list established under paragraph 
                (2).
                    (B) Additional vouchers.--If a veteran receives a 
                supply of vouchers under the preceding sentence and, 
                not later than five months after receiving such 
                vouchers requests an additional six-month supply of 
                vouchers, the Secretary may issue to the veteran an 
                additional six-month supplies of vouchers, as the 
                Secretary determines is appropriate.
                    (C) Deadline.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
                shall issue the vouchers under this paragraph not later 
                than 30 days after the date of the date on which the 
                veteran requests the vouchers.
            (2) List of service providers.--The Secretary shall compile 
        and maintain a list of mental health care providers, including 
        family counseling providers, who have entered into an agreement 
        with the Secretary to accept the vouchers issued under 
        paragraph (1) as payment in full for visits to the provider for 
        mental health counseling.
            (3) Compliance with department protocols.--Each mental 
        health care provider on the list maintained by the Secretary 
        under paragraph (2) shall comply with applicable protocols of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs before incurring any 
        liability on behalf of the Department for the provision of 
        services as part of the pilot program.
    (d) Family Counseling.--If a certified mental health provider or 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has recommended that an eligible 
veteran and the veteran's family receive family counseling, that 
veteran may use a voucher provided under subsection (c) as payment in 
full for visits to a family counseling provider on the list maintained 
under paragraph (2) of such subsection for such counseling.
    (e) Rate of Provider Reimbursement.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall provide for payment under the voucher of a mental health 
provider at the reimbursement rate (if any) in effect under the TRICARE 
program under chapter 55, of title 10, United States Code, for such 
services (or similar services) of such a provider in the area or, in 
the absence of such a reimbursement rate, at the payment rates for such 
services (or similar services) in effect under part B of title XVIII of 
the Social Security Act. In order to receive payment under a voucher, a 
mental health provider shall submit to the Secretary the voucher 
bearing the signature of the provider and the veteran who received 
counseling from the provider in exchange for the voucher.
    (f) Veterans Integrated Service Networks.--The Secretary shall 
carry out the pilot program under this section in Veterans Integrated 
Service Networks 1, 4, 7, 12, 17, 20, and 23.
    (g) Termination; Extension.--
    (1) Termination.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out a 
pilot program under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is 
five years after the date of enactment of this section.
    (2) Study; Extension.--Not later than four years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct a study on the effectiveness of the pilot program under this 
section, in which the Secretary shall recommend whether the program 
should be extended or expanded. Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the 
Secretary determines the program should be extended or expanded, the 
Secretary may extend or expand the existing program.
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