Rural Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act

Summary: Rural Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act - Amends appropriations authorities for veterans' benefits to provide advanced appropriations for information technology relating to medical services, support, compliance, and facilities of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include, as a component of VHA health-care personnel education and training programs, education and training of marriage and family therapists as well as licensed professional mental health counselors. Amends the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 to require the Secretary, through VA medical centers, to provide mental health services, including outpatient care, to the immediate families of certain veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress regarding telemedicine services (the use by a health care provider of telecommunications to assist in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient's medical condition) for veterans, including updates on VA teleconsultation and telemedicine initiatives, training, and partnerships with primary care providers.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Veterans Mental Health Care 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR ACCOUNTS FOR HEALTH-RELATED 
              INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) Advance Appropriations for Information Technology Accounts.--
Section 117(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
            ``(4) Accounts, including subaccounts of the Accounts 
        referred to in paragraphs (1) through (3), providing funds for 
        information technology.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect on October 1, 2014, and shall apply with respect to fiscal 
years beginning on or after that date.

SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN THE EDUCATION AND 
              TRAINING PROGRAM FOR HEALTH PERSONNEL OF THE DEPARTMENT 
              OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out the education and training program 
required under section 7302(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include education and training of 
marriage and family therapists and licensed professional mental health 
counselors.
    (b) Funding.--The Secretary shall apportion funding for the 
education and training program equally among the professions included 
in the program.

SEC. 4. PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR FAMILIES OF CERTAIN 
              VETERANS AT FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT.

    (a) Provision of Mental Health Services at Department Facilities.--
Subsection (e) of section 304 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus 
Health Services Act of 2010 (38 U.S.C. 1712A note; Public Law 111-163) 
is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Peer Outreach and Peer Support Services'' 
        and inserting ``Services''; and
            (2) by striking ``The Secretary shall carry out the 
        services'' and inserting ``The Secretary shall carry out--
            ``(1) the services'';
            (3) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; 
        and''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(2) the mental health services required by subsection 
        (a)(2) at or through Department medical centers.''.
    (b) Definition of Mental Health Services.--Such section is further 
amended by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following:
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Mental health services.--The term `mental health 
        services' includes outpatient mental healthcare referred to in 
        section 17.38(a)(1)(i) of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations 
        (as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this 
        Act).
            ``(2) Vet center.--The term `vet center' means a center for 
        readjustment counseling and related mental health services for 
        veterans under section 1712A of title 38, United States 
        Code.''.

SEC. 5. REPORT ON PROVISION OF TELEMEDICINE SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the 
following:
            (1) Issues that may be impeding the provision by the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs of telemedicine services for 
        veterans, including the following:
                    (A) Statutory or regulatory restrictions.
                    (B) Licensure or credentialing issues for any 
                provider practicing telemedicine with veterans who live 
                in a different State than the provider.
                    (C) Limited broadband access in rural areas.
                    (D) Limited information technology resources or 
                capabilities.
                    (E) Long distances veterans must travel to access a 
                facility or clinic with telemedicine capabilities.
                    (F) Insufficient liability protection for 
                providers.
                    (G) Reimbursement issues faced by providers.
                    (H) Travel limitations for providers that are 
                unaffiliated with the Department and are participating 
                or seeking to participate in a telemedicine program of 
                the Department.
            (2) Actions taken to address the issues identified in 
        paragraph (1).
            (3) An update on efforts by the Department to carry out the 
        initiative of teleconsultation for the provision of remote 
        mental health and traumatic brain injury assessments required 
        by section 1709A of title 38, United States Code.
            (4) An update on efforts by the Department to offer 
        training opportunities in telemedicine to medical residents, as 
        required by section 108(b) of the Janey Ensminger Act (Public 
        Law 112-154; 38 U.S.C. 7406 note).
            (5) An update on efforts by the Department to, in 
        partnership with primary care providers, install video cameras 
        and instruments to monitor weight, blood pressure, and other 
        vital statistics in the homes of patients.
    (b) Telemedicine Defined.--In this section, the term 
``telemedicine'' means the use by a health care provider of 
telecommunications to assist in the diagnosis or treatment of a 
patient's medical condition.