[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5385 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5385

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
  Veterans Affairs to establish a toll-free hotline to assist mental 
  health professionals at institutions of higher learning, to provide 
   training to mental health professionals at institutions of higher 
                   learning, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 2010

 Mr. Carney (for himself and Mr. Kirk) 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 establish a toll-free hotline to assist mental 
  health professionals at institutions of higher learning, to provide 
   training to mental health professionals at institutions of higher 
                   learning, 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 ``Student Veteran Counseling 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. COUNSELING FOR STUDENT VETERANS WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 3697B. ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 
              PROFESSIONALS.

    ``(a) Hotline for Mental Health Professionals at Institutions of 
Higher Education.--(1) Subject to the availability of appropriations 
for such purpose, the Secretary shall establish a toll-free telephone 
number to provide mental and behavioral health professionals with the 
information described in paragraph (2).
    ``(2) The information described in this paragraph is information 
related to the treatment and counseling of a veteran reporting or 
exhibiting symptoms of--
            ``(A) post-traumatic stress disorder;
            ``(B) traumatic brain injury;
            ``(C) anxiety;
            ``(D) depression;
            ``(E) sexual assault;
            ``(F) sexual trauma;
            ``(G) readjustment disorder; or
            ``(H) other service-connected mental health conditions.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that a licensed mental health 
counselor employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs operates the 
hotline and provides the information described in paragraph (2).
    ``(4) The Secretary shall ensure that the hotline is operational 
during business hours each weekday (other than Saturdays and Federal 
holidays).
    ``(5) In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall--
            ``(A) notify each institution of higher learning of the 
        hotline by mail; and
            ``(B) provide information regarding the hotline on the 
        Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    ``(b) Training Mental and Behavioral Health Professionals.--(1) 
Subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide mental and behavioral 
health professionals at each institution of higher learning with 
training on the information described in paragraph (2) of subsection 
(a).
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the training under paragraph 
(1)--
            ``(A) is provided by a licensed psychiatrist, licensed 
        psychologist, or licensed counselor employed by the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs; and
            ``(B) is provided to mental and behavioral health 
        professionals at least once every two years.
    ``(3) The Secretary may not pay a reporting fee under section 
3684(c) of this title to an institution of higher learning with at 
least 100 veterans enrolled at such institution unless a mental and 
behavioral health professional of such institution receives training 
provided by the Secretary under paragraph (1).
    ``(c) Biennial Reports.--Not later than October 1 of each even-
numbered year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to 
Congress a report on mental and behavioral health professionals. Each 
such report shall include the following:
            ``(1) The number of institutions of higher learning that 
        employ a mental and behavioral health professional who has 
        received training under subsection (b).
            ``(2) The number of veterans who have died by suicide while 
        enrolled in an institution of higher learning.
            ``(3) The number of calls received by the hotline.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `mental and behavioral health professional' 
        means a licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, or 
        licenced counselor employed by an institution of higher 
        learning.
            ``(2) The term `institution of higher learning' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 3452(f) of this title.
            ``(3) The term `hotline' means the toll-free telephone 
        number established under subsection (a).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Subsection (c) of section 3684 of such 
title is amended by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting ``Subject 
to section 3697B(b)(3) of this title, the Secretary''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 36 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``3697B. Assistance and training for mental and behavioral health 
                            professionals.''.
    (d) Effective Date.--Section 3697B of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the date that is one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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