[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2527 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2527

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the mental health 
treatment provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans who 
                     served in classified missions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 10, 2016

  Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the mental health 
treatment provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans who 
                     served in classified missions.

    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 ``Sergeant Daniel Somers Classified 
Veterans Access to Care Act''.

SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED IN CLASSIFIED 
              MISSIONS.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that veterans 
who experience combat-related mental health wounds should have 
immediate, appropriate, and consistent access to comprehensive mental 
health care.
    (b) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in 
              classified missions
    ``(a) Establishment of Standards.--(1) The Secretary shall 
establish standards and procedures to ensure that each covered veteran 
may access mental health care furnished by the Secretary in a manner 
that fully accommodates the obligation of the veteran to not improperly 
disclose classified information.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall disseminate guidance to employees of the 
Veterans Health Administration, including mental health professionals, 
on the standards and procedures established under paragraph (1) and how 
to best engage covered veterans during the course of mental health 
treatment with respect to classified information.
    ``(b) Identification.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall ensure that a veteran may elect to identify as a covered veteran 
on an appropriate form.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `classified information' means any 
        information or material that has been determined by an official 
        of the United States pursuant to law to require protection 
        against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national 
        security.
            ``(2) The term `covered veteran' means a veteran who--
                    ``(A) is enrolled in the system of annual patient 
                enrollment established and operated under section 
                1705(a) of this title;
                    ``(B) is seeking mental health treatment; and
                    ``(C) in the course of serving in the Armed Forces, 
                participated in a sensitive mission or served in a 
                sensitive unit.
            ``(3) The term `sensitive mission' means a mission of the 
        Armed Forces that, at the time at which a covered veteran seeks 
        treatment, is classified.
            ``(4) The term `sensitive unit' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 130b(c)(4) of title 10.''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of such title is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 1720G the following new item:

``1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified 
                            missions.''.
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