[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 41 (Tuesday, April 4, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2802-S2804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. 
        Kerry):
  S. 2500. A bill to enhance the counseling and readjustment services 
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise proudly today on behalf of our 
Nation's veterans and returning servicemembers to introduce the Healing 
the Invisible Wounds Act of 2006. This legislation will enhance the 
counseling and readjustment services provided by the Department of 
Veterans' Affairs (VA). And it will protect the rights of veterans to 
receive PTSD compensation--now or in the future.
  Many of the men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are 
suffering from some of the most severe physical injuries. However, even 
more of these brave servicemembers have invisible wounds--difficulties 
with adjusting to not being on the battlefield or dealing with long-
lasting visions and experiences that they encountered. My bill is 
intended to ensure that these men and women receive the readjustment 
counseling and mental health services necessary to transition into what 
we hope to be a full and productive life after combat.
  This issue is especially relevant following the release of a mental 
health care study conducted by the Army Institute of Research which 
revealed that as many as 35 percent of Iraq war veterans received 
mental health care services in the year after their return home. The 
study concluded that the high rate of using of mental health care 
services among Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans after deployment 
highlights challenges in ensuring that there be adequate resources to 
meet the mental health needs of returning veterans.
  As we all know, the transition period for these soldiers is extremely 
critical. So critical that it can, in some cases, mean the difference 
between short-

[[Page S2803]]

term readjustment issues and severely chronic psychological conditions. 
This bill supports and encourages greater cooperation between VA and 
the Department of Defense, DoD, through the expansion of innovative 
Reunion and Re-entry activities carried out by Vet Center staff. These 
activities provide members of the National Guard and Reserves with 
counseling services during the transition from their deployment 
overseas to civilian life.
  Demobilization often occurs so rapidly for these returning 
servicemembers that they sometimes do not receive or are overwhelmed by 
the benefits information they need. It is understandable that our 
servicemembers are much more focused on being reunited with their loved 
ones than caring about what benefits they are eligible to receive. My 
bill provides a comprehensive approach by providing group session 
counseling, a one-hour private counseling session, a presentation to 
family members about counseling-related matters, and other services 
that are deemed appropriate by the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and 
Defense. My bill ensures that these services are provided no later than 
14 days upon return and that servicemembers be retained on active duty 
until they receive these crucial counseling services.

  In order to provide feedback and reflection about how to better serve 
veterans in this capacity, my bill requires a report from VA. The 
report would detail the costs associated with the provision of 
counseling services, an assessment of the efficacy of the services 
provided to meet the readjustment needs of veterans, and a survey-based 
assessment regarding the satisfaction of veterans receiving these 
services, that would include the manner in which these services are 
provided.
  Servicemembers have paid a great price in defending freedom. Access 
to treatment and counseling to heal invisible wounds must be considered 
a continuing cost of war. In that spirit, this legislation would 
authorize $180 million for the provision of readjustment counseling 
services. Colleagues, if there's one lesson we've learned thus far, it 
is that the earlier we provide these services, the better chance we 
have of preventing more serious mental health conditions. We need to 
invest in our future now. If we don't provide these services, we will 
be paying a much, much higher price in the future.
  The safe counseling havens of VA include Vet Centers, which are great 
conduits for the delivery of these types of transition activities. All 
Vet Centers are staffed by veterans who can relate to the experiences 
that these OIF/OEF veterans commonly share.
  In 2005, Vet Centers cared for more than 44,900 veterans of the 
Global War on Terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition, Vet 
Centers provided bereavement counseling to more than 800 surviving 
family members of over 525 servicemembers who were killed while on 
active duty serving their country. Despite increases in the number of 
veterans coming to Vet Centers for care, the budget for the program has 
remained relatively stagnant.
  My bill would also address PTSD benefits for veterans. Instead of 
being proactive and allocating resources to address these challenges 
while at the same time caring for older veterans, a fear of rising 
costs prompted a reactionary response from many in Washington. Some 
policy makers believe that reducing veterans' compensation for PTSD by 
reexamining 72,000 previously awarded claims might be a good way to 
save money. This is a bad idea.
  Many times, VA compensation is the only source of income for severely 
disabled veterans and their families. I am thankful that VA set aside 
its plan to move forward with the PTSD Review late last year. However, 
there are ongoing efforts to re-evaluate how PTSD is compensated. The 
Institute of Medicine and Disability Benefits Commission are currently 
reviewing veterans' disability compensation. This bill requires the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress 6 months 
prior to modifying how PTSD is compensated under the disability 
compensation rating system. Veterans will no longer have to worry that 
the administration will cut disability compensation in order to save 
money.
  Through budget shortfalls and constraints, we must remain steadfast 
in ensuring that our servicemembers and their families do not suffer in 
silence from the invisible wounds that they receive in the name of 
freedom. Many of us fail to give invisible wounds the attention they 
require. I urge my colleagues to join me in taking another step towards 
healing our veterans by enacting this important measure.
  I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the bill be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2500

       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 ``Healing the Invisible Wounds 
     Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. NOTICE AND WAIT ON MODIFICATION OF HANDLING OF POST-
                   TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER UNDER DISABILITY 
                   COMPENSATION RATING SYSTEM.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not implement any 
     modification in the manner in which Post-Traumatic Stress 
     Disorder (PTSD) is handled in the rating of service-connected 
     disabilities for purposes of the payment of compensation 
     under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, until the 
     date that is six months after the date on which the Secretary 
     submits to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate 
     and House of Representatives a report on such proposed 
     modification.

     SEC. 3. COUNSELING FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND 
                   RESERVES RETURNING FROM DEPLOYMENT IN A COMBAT 
                   THEATER.

       (a) Expansion of Reunion and Re-Entry From Combat 
     Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall provide to 
     each member of the National Guard and Reserves described in 
     subsection (b) the counseling services described in 
     subsection (c) upon the return of such member from a 
     deployment in a combat theater.
       (2) Purpose of services.--The purpose of the counseling 
     services provided under this section is to assist members of 
     the National Guard and Reserves described in subsection (b) 
     in making the readjustment to civilian life in the United 
     States upon their return from a combat theater.
       (b) Covered Members of the National Guard and Reserves.--A 
     member of the National Guard and Reserves described in this 
     subsection is any member of the National Guard or the 
     Reserves who serves on active duty in a combat theater.
       (c) Counseling To Be Provided.--The counseling services to 
     be provided under this subsection shall include the 
     following:
       (1) A session of group counseling provided to such member 
     together with such other number of members as the Secretary 
     determines appropriate for the purpose of this section.
       (2) A session, of not less than one hour duration, of 
     private counseling provided to such member.
       (3) A presentation on counseling-related matters, including 
     on the readjustment counseling and related mental health 
     services available under section 1712A of title 38, United 
     States Code, provided to the family of such member.
       (4) Such other counseling services as the Secretary 
     determines appropriate for the purpose of this section.
       (d) Means of Providing Counseling.--Counseling services 
     shall be provided under this section through the personnel of 
     the centers (commonly referred to as ``vet centers'') 
     providing readjustment counseling and related mental health 
     services for veterans under section 1712A of title 38, United 
     States Code.
       (e) Timing of Counseling.--The counseling provided to a 
     member of the National Guard and Reserves under paragraphs 
     (1) and (2) of subsection (c) shall be provided not later 
     than 14 days after the date of the return of the member to 
     the member's home following a deployment to a combat theater.
       (f) Retention on Active Duty Pending Counseling.--A member 
     of the National Guard and Reserves described in subsection 
     (a) shall be retained on active duty in the Armed Forces 
     until the provision of the counseling required to be provided 
     under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (c).
       (g) Additional Counseling.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
     the centers referred to in subsection (d), as part of the 
     discharge of their functions under section 1712A of title 38, 
     United States Code, provide, and have sufficient resources to 
     provide, such follow-up and additional counseling services to 
     veterans described in subsection (a) as such veterans shall 
     request from such centers, in accordance with applicable law.
       (h) Report.--
       (1) Report required.--Not later than one year after the 
     date of the commencement of the provision of counseling 
     services under this section, the Secretary shall submit to 
     the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the 
     provision of such services under this section.

[[Page S2804]]

       (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include information as follows:
       (A) The cost of the provision of counseling services under 
     this section.
       (B) An assessment of the efficacy of such services in 
     meeting the readjustment needs of veterans described in 
     subsection (a).
       (C) An assessment (based on surveys or such information as 
     the Secretary considers appropriate) of the satisfaction of 
     veterans described in subsection (a) with the services 
     provided under this section, including the manner in which 
     such services are provided.
       (D) The number of followup visits for counseling and 
     services of veterans described in subsection (a) and the 
     number of visits of family members of such veterans for 
     counseling and services.
       (E) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers 
     appropriate in order to enhance the services provided under 
     this section, including the manner in which such services are 
     provided.
       (i) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services 
     of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services 
     of the House of Representatives.
       (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
     fiscal year 2007, such sums as may be necessary for the 
     provision of counseling services under this section.

     SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR VET CENTERS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007, $180,000,000 for the 
     provision of readjustment counseling and related mental 
     health services through centers (commonly referred to as 
     ``vet centers'') under section 1712A of title 38, United 
     States Code.
                                 ______