[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8185-H8186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    REDUCE AND ELIMINATE MENTAL HEALTH OUTPATIENT VETERAN COPAYS ACT

  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 7589) to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the 
imposition or collection of copayments for certain mental health 
outpatient care visits of veterans, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 7589

       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 ``Reduce and Eliminate Mental 
     Health Outpatient Veteran Copays Act'' or the ``REMOVE Copays 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON COLLECTION OF COPAYMENTS FOR FIRST 
                   THREE MENTAL HEALTH CARE OUTPATIENT VISITS OF 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) Prohibition on Collection.--Chapter 17 of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 
     1722B the following new section (and conforming the table of 
     sections at the beginning of such chapter accordingly):

     ``Sec. 1722C. Copayments: prohibition on collection of 
       copayments for first three mental health care outpatient 
       visits of veterans

       ``(a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (b), 
     notwithstanding section 1710(g) of this title or any other 
     provision of law, the Secretary may not impose or collect a 
     copayment for the first three mental health care outpatient 
     visits of a veteran in a calendar year for which the veteran 
     would otherwise be required to pay a copayment under the laws 
     administered by the Secretary.
       ``(b) Copayment for Medications.--The prohibition under 
     subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to the imposition 
     or collection of copayments for medications pursuant to 
     section 1722A of this title.
       ``(c) Mental Health Care Outpatient Visit Defined.--In this 
     section, the term `mental health care outpatient visit' means 
     an outpatient visit with a qualified mental health 
     professional for the primary purpose of seeking mental health 
     care or treatment for substance abuse disorder.''.
       (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to mental health care outpatient 
     visits occurring on or after the date that is 180 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and insert extraneous material on H.R. 7589, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, as we all know, September is Suicide Prevention 
Awareness Month. I hope everyone has the new crisis hotline number, 
988, saved on their phones. If you or a veteran you care about is in 
crisis, please dial 988, and press 1 to reach trained responders at the 
Veterans Crisis Line. Again, let me repeat the number. Dial 988 and 
press 1 to reach trained responders at the Veterans Crisis Line.
  One component of a public health approach to veteran suicide 
prevention is ensuring that all of our Nation's heroes have access to 
timely, high-quality, effective mental health care.
  Madam Speaker, I am so pleased to bring up my bill, H.R. 7589, as 
amended, the Reduce and Eliminate Mental Health Outpatient Veteran 
Copays or REMOVE Copays Act. We reported this bill favorably out of the 
Veterans' Affairs Committee last week on a bipartisan voice vote. I 
thank Ranking Member Bost for his support of this bill.
  H.R. 7589 turns a legislative proposal from the Department of 
Veterans Affairs into a law that will make every enrolled veteran's 
first three outpatient mental health appointment at VA free every year. 
We know that what may seem like low copays can, in fact, be significant 
financial barriers for many veterans. Our goal is to knock down all 
barriers for veterans seeking and accessing mental health care at the 
VA.

                              {time}  2015

  VA strongly supports this bill, as do veterans service organizations 
and

[[Page H8186]]

mental health groups. If we can enact this into law, VA will be the 
first of hopefully all Federal healthcare programs to eliminate copays 
for mental health care every year in this way and get people the help 
they need.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this 
vital piece of legislation, H.R. 7589, as amended, the REMOVE Copays 
Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7589, the REMOVE Copays Act. 
As its name suggests, this bill would remove copayments from every 
veteran's first three mental health outpatient visits for each calendar 
year.
  I am pleased to support the REMOVE Copays Act today, and I hope it 
will encourage veterans to take better care of their mental health. 
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and according to the 
most recent data from the VA, the amount of veterans who died by 
suicide decreased from 2019 to 2020.
  That is encouraging news. However, at least one non-VA study suggests 
that VA is undercounting the number of veterans who die by suicide by 
as much as 2.4 times. I fear that VA's data still has not accounted for 
the negative effects of COVID lockdowns, isolation, and illness.
  Regardless, as long as veterans continue to take their own lives, we 
have important work to do. Suicide is not just a mental health issue. 
Improving mental health has a critical role to play in stopping suicide 
once and for all.
  I am grateful to Chairman Takano for his introduction of this bill, 
and I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting it today.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support 
the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, again, I ask all my colleagues to join me 
in passing H.R. 7589, as amended. I do thank my colleague, the ranking 
member. It is an example of standing our ground where we must and 
finding common ground where we can.
  Lastly, I close by saying, please dial 988 and press 1 to reach 
trained responders at the Veterans Crisis Line.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 7589, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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