    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 134, 116th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 116-176
    116th Congress

    An Act

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish Vet Center
    readjustment counseling and related mental health services to certain
    individuals. <>

    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 ``Vet Center Eligibility Expansion
    Act''.
    SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF VET CENTER SERVICES.

    Section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
    (1) by striking ``clauses (i) through (iv)'' both places it
    appears and inserting ``clauses (i) through (vi)'';
    (2) by striking ``in clause (v)'' both places it appears and
    inserting ``in clause (vii)'';
    (3) in subsection (a)(1)(C)--
    (A) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses
    (vi) and (vii), respectively; and
    (B) by inserting after clause (iii) the following
    new clauses:
    ``(iv) Any individual who is a veteran or member of the
    Armed Forces, including a member of a reserve component of the
    Armed Forces, who served--
    ``(I) on active service in response to a national
    emergency or major disaster declared by the President;
    or
    ``(II) in the National Guard of a State under orders
    of the chief executive of that State in response to a
    disaster or civil disorder in such State.
    ``(v) Any individual who participated in a drug interdiction
    operation as a member of the Coast Guard, regardless of the
    location of that operation.''; and
    (4) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following
    new paragraphs:
    ``(4) The term `active service' has the meaning given that
    term in section 101 of title 10.
    ``(5) The term `civil disorder' has the meaning given that
    term in section 232 of title 18.''.
    SEC. 3. PLAN TO PROVIDE VET CENTER SERVICES TO VETERANS LIVING IN
    AREAS WHERE NO VET CENTER IS LOCATED.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on
    Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a plan to
    provide Vet Center services to veterans living in

    [[Page 850]]

    geographic areas where no Vet Center is located, including in the United
    States insular areas.

    Approved October 20, 2020.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1812:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HOUSE REPORTS: No. 116-75 (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs).
    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
    Vol. 165 (2019):
    May 21, considered and passed House.
    Vol. 166 (2020):
    Sept. 24, considered and passed
    Senate.