[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2505 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2505

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
program to utilize tele-health platforms to assist in the treatment of 
 veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post traumatic stress 
                  disorder or traumatic brain injury.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 19, 2009

  Mr. Teague 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 utilize tele-health platforms to assist in the treatment of 
 veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post traumatic stress 
                  disorder or traumatic brain injury.

    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 ``Reaching Rural Veterans through 
Telehealth Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING NEED TO USE TELE-HEALTH PLATFORMS 
              IN TREATING VETERANS LIVING IN RURAL AREAS SUFFERING FROM 
              POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) members of the Armed Forces serving in Iraq or 
        Afghanistan are being exposed to conditions in combat 
        operations that increase the risk of the members developing 
        post-traumatic stress disorder or incurring a traumatic brain 
        injury;
            (2) veterans living in rural areas need better access to 
        treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic 
        brain injury; and
            (3) the use of tele-health platforms in the treatment of 
        post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury can 
        reduce the need for travel by providers and veterans and their 
        families, thereby also reducing costs, time, stress, and other 
        factors associated with travel.

SEC. 3. TELE-HEALTH PILOT PROJECT FOR TREATMENT OF VETERANS LIVING IN 
              RURAL AREAS WHO SUFFER FROM POST TRAUMATIC STRESS 
              DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.

    (a) Pilot Project.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall award 
grants for the establishment three pilot projects to use tele-health 
platforms to work, in collaboration with State behavioral health 
systems, other Federal agencies, and other entities as applicable, to 
serve the needs of veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post 
traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. Utilizing tele-
health platforms, the pilot projects shall provide treatment, 
education, and evaluation to veterans who suffer from post traumatic 
stress disorder or traumatic brain injury and support to their 
families.
    (b) Tele-Health Platform Defined.--The term ``tele-health 
platform'' means the use of electronic information and 
telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical 
health care, patient and professional health-related education, public 
health, and health administration.
    (c) Project Goals.--
            (1) Education.--Education efforts under the pilot projects 
        shall be designed to teach primary care providers how to 
        diagnosis and manage clients with post traumatic stress 
        disorder or traumatic brain injury, be standardized and 
        replicable using validated tools, and require ongoing 
        evaluation and improvement of the education and training in 
        diagnosis and treatment.
            (2) Treatment.--Treatment efforts under the pilot projects 
        shall be designed to be comprehensive and accessible to 
        veterans on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
    (d) Provider Participation.--Participation in the pilot projects 
shall be multi-disciplinary and broad-based, including medical 
clinicians, trainers, educators, researchers, community members, and 
other interested persons.
    (e) Grant Requirements.--The Secretary shall select grant 
recipients on the basis of the following:
            (1) Geographical diversity.
            (2) Reaching the most possible veterans not currently 
        receiving treatment for post traumatic stress disorder or 
        traumatic brain injury.
            (3) Creating programs in Veteran Integrated Service 
        Networks that are designated by the Secretary to be ``rural'' 
        or ``highly rural''.
    (f) Allowable Uses of Funds.--
            (1) Training.--Grant funds may be used for training 
        practitioners, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, case 
        managers, and other professionals to treat veterans suffering 
        from post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, 
        including a focus on teaching primary care providers to 
        diagnosis and manage patients with post traumatic stress 
        disorder.
            (2) Research.--Grant funds may be used for testing a 
        variety of clinical and case management modalities to provide 
        ``Best Practice'' treatment for specific populations, such as 
        veterans who served in a regular component of the Armed Forces, 
        veterans who served in reserve components, female military 
        personnel, children of military personnel, parents, and other 
        significant others.
            (3) Purchasing.--Grant funds may be used for purchasing 
        equipment related to tele-health platforms, such as monitors, 
        speakers, webcams, and necessary software.
            (4) Organization of projects.--Grant recipients may partner 
        and contract with local community groups that are already 
        providing services in a rural area, such as parenting, sexual 
        assault prevention and recovery services, domestic violence 
        prevention and recovery services, food banks, and other social 
        services. Grant funds may be used to provide stipends to 
        clinicians and providers involved in a pilot project.
    (g) Reporting Requirements.--Grant recipients shall provide a 
quarterly report to the Secretary that will include the following:
            (1) Results under the pilot project involved.
            (2) Number of veterans treated.
            (3) Individual client progress.
            (4) Demonstrative service coordination.
            (5) Client demographics.
            (6) Outcomes and information that can be shared with local, 
        State, and Federal government agencies.
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