[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 84 (Thursday, May 26, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3320-S3321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4297. Mr. DONNELLY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. 740. USE OF INPUT FROM SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS IN 
                   DEVELOPING MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER READINESS 
                   DESIGNATION FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

       Section 717 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
     Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92; 10 U.S.C. 1073 note) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
       (A) by inserting ``, with input from the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs,'' after ``Secretary of Defense''; and
       (B) by striking ``established by the Secretary'' and 
     inserting ``established by the Secretary of Defense'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, with input from the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs,'' after ``Secretary of 
     Defense''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``The Secretary shall 
     update'' and inserting ``The Secretary of Defense shall 
     update'';

[[Page S3321]]

       (3) in subsection (c)(1), by amending subparagraph (B) to 
     read as follows:
       ``(B) is not a health care provider of the Department of 
     Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs at a facility 
     of the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs; and'';
       (4) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
       (5) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
     subsection (c):
       ``(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall 
     be construed to permit the Secretary of Defense to indicate 
     that the Department of Veterans Affairs has certified or 
     otherwise approved of health care providers with a mental 
     health provider readiness designation under this section.''.
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