[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2698 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2698

  To improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to 
    veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to 
             survivors of veterans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2009

 Ms. Giffords introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to 
    veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to 
             survivors of veterans, 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 ``Veterans and Survivors Behavioral 
Health Awareness Act''.

SEC. 2. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF BEHAVIORAL 
              HEALTH CARE SPECIALISTS FOR VET CENTERS.

    (a) Program Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting 
through the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, shall carry out a program to provide scholarships to 
individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care 
specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers in order 
to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service as 
behavioral health care specialists in Vet Centers.
    (b) Eligibility.--An individual shall be eligible for a scholarship 
under the program under this section if the individual--
            (1) is pursuing education or training leading to licensure 
        or other certified proficiency in such behavioral health care 
        specialties critical to the operations of Vet Centers as the 
        Secretary shall designate for purposes of the program; and
            (2) otherwise meets such other criteria or requirements as 
        the Secretary shall establish for purposes of the program.
    (c) Amount.--The amount of any scholarship provided under the 
program under this section shall be determined by the Secretary.
    (d) Agreement To Serve as Behavioral Health Care Specialist in Vet 
Centers.--As a condition of receipt of a scholarship under the program 
under this section, an individual receiving a scholarship shall enter 
into an agreement with the Secretary to serve as an employee of a Vet 
Center in the behavioral health care specialty of the individual for 
such period as the Secretary shall specify in the agreement.
    (e) Repayment.--Each agreement under subsection (c) shall contain 
such provisions as the Under Secretary shall establish for purposes of 
the program under this section relating to repayment of the amount of a 
scholarship provided under this section in the event the individual 
entering into such agreement does not fulfill the service requirements 
in such agreement. Such provisions shall apply, to the maximum extent 
practicable, uniformly to all recipients of scholarships provided under 
this section.
    (f) Funding.--(1) Amounts for scholarships under the program under 
this section shall be derived from amounts available to the Secretary 
for readjustment benefits.
    (2) The total amount available for scholarships under the program 
under this section in any fiscal year may not exceed $2,000,000.
    (g) Vet Centers Defined.--In this section, the term ``Vet Centers'' 
means the centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health 
services for veterans under section 1712A of title 38, United States 
Code.

SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF AUTHORITY OF VETS CENTERS TO PROVIDE REFERRAL 
              AND OTHER ASSISTANCE UPON REQUEST TO FORMER MEMBERS OF 
              THE ARMED FORCES NOT AUTHORIZED COUNSELING.

    Section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):
    ``(c) Upon receipt of a request for counseling under this section 
from any individual who has been discharged or released from active 
military, naval, or air service but who is not otherwise eligible for 
such counseling, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) provide referral services to assist such individual, 
        to the maximum extent practicable, in obtaining mental health 
        care and services from sources outside the Department; and
            ``(2) if pertinent, advise such individual of such 
        individual's rights to apply to the appropriate military, 
        naval, or air service, and to the Department, for review of 
        such individual's discharge or release from such service.''.

SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE PROVISION OF 
              EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF MEMBERS OF THE 
              ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out 
a program to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide 
emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the 
Armed Forces (including members of the National Guard and Reserve) and 
deceased veterans through peers of such survivors.
    (b) Award of Grants.--
            (1) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under the 
        program under this section, a nonprofit organization shall meet 
        such criteria as the Secretary shall establish for purposes of 
        the program.
            (2) Application.--A nonprofit organization seeking a grant 
        under the program shall submit to the Secretary an application 
        for the grant in such form and manner as the Secretary shall 
        specify for purposes of the program.
    (c) Grants.--
            (1) Amount.--The amount of each grant awarded a nonprofit 
        organization under the program under this section shall be such 
        amount as the Secretary determines appropriate for purposes of 
        the program.
            (2) Duration.--The duration of each grant awarded a 
        nonprofit organization shall be such period as the Secretary 
        determines appropriate for purposes of the program.
    (d) Use of Grant Funds.--Each nonprofit organization awarded a 
grant under the program under this section shall utilize amounts under 
the grant to provide such emotional support services for survivors of 
deceased members of the Armed Forces (including members of the National 
Guard and Reserve) and deceased veterans through peers of such 
survivors as the Secretary shall specify in the grant.
    (e) Funding.--Amounts for grants under the program under this 
section shall be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated for 
the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
                                 <all>