II 

Calendar No. 538 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 711 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for mental 

health services from the Department of Veterans Affairs to include members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 7, 2019 

Mr. TESTER (for himself, Mr. MORAN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. SULLIVAN, Ms. 

HASSAN, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. 

BENNET, and Mr. GARDNER) introduced the following bill; which was 

read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Reported by Mr. MORAN, without amendment 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility 

for mental health services from the Department of Veterans Affairs to include members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Care and Readiness 

3 Enhancement for Reservists Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘CARE 

4 for Reservists Act of 2019’’. 

5 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR READJUSTMENT 

6 COUNSELING AND RELATED OUTPATIENT 

7 SERVICES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VET8 ERANS AFFAIRS TO INCLUDE MEMBERS OF 

9 THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED 

10 FORCES. 

11 (a) READJUSTMENT COUNSELING.—Subsection 

12 (a)(1) of section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, 

13 is amended by adding at the end the following new sub14 paragraph: 

15 ‘‘(D)(i) The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec16 retary of Defense, may furnish to any member of the re17 serve components of the Armed Forces who has a behav18 ioral health condition or psychological trauma, counseling 

19 under subparagraph (A)(i), which may include a com20 prehensive individual assessment under subparagraph 

21 (B)(i). 

22 ‘‘(ii) A member of the reserve components of the 

23 Armed Forces described in clause (i) shall not be required 

24 to obtain a referral before being furnished counseling or 

25 an assessment under this subparagraph.’’. 


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1 (b) OUTPATIENT SERVICES.—Subsection (b) of such 

2 section is amended— 

3 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

4 (A) by inserting ‘‘to an individual’’ after 

5 ‘‘If, on the basis of the assessment furnished’’; 

6 and 

7 (B) by striking ‘‘veteran’’ each place it ap8 pears and inserting ‘‘individual’’; and 

9 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘veteran’’ and 

10 inserting ‘‘individual’’. 

11 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

12 this section shall take effect on the date that is one year 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

14 SEC. 3. PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FROM 

15 THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

16 TO MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPO17 NENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 of 

19 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

20 end the following new section: 

21 ‘‘§ 1789. Mental health services for members of the re22 serve components of the Armed Forces 

23 ‘‘The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 

24 Defense, may furnish mental health services to members 

25 of the reserve components of the Armed Forces.’’. 


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1 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

2 at the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended 

3 by inserting after the item relating to section 1788 the 

4 following new item: 

‘‘1789. Mental health services for members of the reserve components of the 

Armed Forces.’’. 

5 SEC. 4. INCLUSION OF MEMBERS OF RESERVE COMPO6 NENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS OF 

7 THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

8 (a) SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1720F of title 38, 

10 United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

11 end the following new subsection: 

12 ‘‘(l)(1) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this 

13 section, the term ‘covered individual’ means a veteran or 

14 a member of the reserve components of the Armed Forces. 

15 ‘‘(2) In determining coverage of members of the re16 serve components of the Armed Forces under the com17 prehensive program, the Secretary shall consult with the 

18 Secretary of Defense.’’. 

19 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such section 

20 is further amended— 

21 (A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘vet22 erans’’ and inserting ‘‘covered individuals’’; 


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1 (B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘vet2 erans’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘cov3 ered individuals’’; 

4 (C) in subsection (c)— 

5 (i) in the subsection heading, by strik6 ing ‘‘OF VETERANS’’; 

7 (ii) by striking ‘‘veterans’’ each place 

8 it appears and inserting ‘‘covered individ9 uals’’; and 

10 (iii) by striking ‘‘veteran’’ and insert11 ing ‘‘individual’’; 

12 (D) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘to vet13 erans’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘to 

14 covered individuals’’; 

15 (E) in subsection (e), in the matter pre16 ceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘veterans’’ 

17 and inserting ‘‘covered individuals’’; 

18 (F) in subsection (f)— 

19 (i) in the first sentence, by striking 

20 ‘‘veterans’’ and inserting ‘‘covered individ21 uals’’; and 

22 (ii) in the second sentence, by insert23 ing ‘‘or members’’ after ‘‘veterans’’; 

24 (G) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘vet25 erans’’ and inserting ‘‘covered individuals’’; 


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1 (H) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘vet2 erans’’ and inserting ‘‘covered individuals’’; 

3 (I) in subsection (i)— 

4 (i) in the subsection heading, by strik5 ing ‘‘FOR VETERANS AND FAMILIES’’; 

6 (ii) in the matter preceding paragraph 

7 (1), by striking ‘‘veterans and the families 

8 of veterans’’ and inserting ‘‘covered indi9 viduals and the families of covered individ10 uals’’; 

11 (iii) in paragraph (2), by striking 

12 ‘‘veterans’’ and inserting ‘‘covered individ13 uals’’; and 

14 (iv) in paragraph (4), by striking 

15 ‘‘veterans’’ each place it appears and in16 serting ‘‘covered individuals’’; 

17 (J) in subsection (j)— 

18 (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘vet19 erans’’ each place it appears and inserting 

20 ‘‘covered individuals’’; and 

21 (ii) in paragraph (4)— 

22 (I) in subparagraph (A), in the 

23 matter preceding clause (i), by strik24 ing ‘‘women veterans’’ and inserting 

25 ‘‘covered individuals who are women’’; 


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1 (II) in subparagraph (B), by 

2 striking ‘‘women veterans who’’ and 

3 inserting ‘‘covered individuals who are 

4 women and’’; and 

5 (III) in subparagraph (C), by 

6 striking ‘‘women veterans’’ and insert7 ing ‘‘covered individuals who are 

8 women’’; and 

9 (K) in subsection (k), by striking ‘‘vet10 erans’’ and inserting ‘‘covered individuals’’. 

11 (3) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—Such section is further 

13 amended, in the section heading, by inserting 

14 ‘‘AND MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPO15 NENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES’’ after 

16 ‘‘VETERANS’’. 

17 (B) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of 

18 sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of such 

19 title is amended by striking the item relating to 

20 section 1720F and inserting the following new 

21 item: 

‘‘1720F. Comprehensive program for suicide prevention among veterans and 

members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces.’’. 

22 (b) MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS

23 WHO SERVED IN CLASSIFIED MISSIONS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1720H of such title 

2 is amended— 

3 (A) in subsection (a)— 

4 (i) in paragraph (1)— 

5 (I) by striking ‘‘eligible veteran’’ 

6 and inserting ‘‘eligible individual’’; 

7 and 

8 (II) by striking ‘‘the veteran’’ 

9 and inserting ‘‘the individual’’; and 

10 (ii) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘eli11 gible veterans’’ and inserting ‘‘eligible indi12 viduals’’; 

13 (B) in subsection (b)— 

14 (i) by striking ‘‘a veteran’’ and insert15 ing ‘‘an individual’’; and 

16 (ii) by striking ‘‘eligible veteran’’ and 

17 inserting ‘‘eligible individual’’; and 

18 (C) in subsection (c)— 

19 (i) in paragraph (2), in the matter 

20 preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 

21 ‘‘The term ‘eligible veteran’ means a vet22 eran’’ and inserting ‘‘The term ‘eligible in23 dividual’ means a veteran or a member of 

24 the reserve components of the Armed 

25 Forces’’; and 


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1 (ii) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘eli2 gible veteran’’ and inserting ‘‘eligible indi3 vidual’’. 

4 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—Such section is further 

6 amended, in the section heading, by inserting 

7 ‘‘AND MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPO8 NENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES’’ after 

9 ‘‘VETERANS’’. 

10 (B) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of 

11 sections at the beginning of chapter 17 of such 

12 title is amended by striking the item relating to 

13 section 1720H and inserting the following new 

14 item: 

‘‘1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans and members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who served in classified missions.’’. 

15 SEC. 5. REPORT ON MENTAL HEALTH AND RELATED SERV16 ICES PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF 

17 VETERANS AFFAIRS TO MEMBERS OF THE 

18 ARMED FORCES. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

20 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet21 erans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 

22 Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Sen23 ate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the ComVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:32 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S711.RS S711

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1 mittee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 

2 a report that includes an assessment of the following: 

3 (1) The increase, as compared to the day before 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act, of the number 

5 of members of the Armed Forces that use readjust6 ment counseling or outpatient mental health care 

7 from the Department of Veterans Affairs, 

8 disaggregated by State, Vet Center location, and 

9 clinical care site of the Department, as appropriate. 

10 (2) The number of members of the reserve com11 ponents of the Armed Forces receiving telemental 

12 health care from the Department. 

13 (3) The increase, as compared to the day before 

14 the date of the enactment of this Act, of the annual 

15 cost associated with readjustment counseling and 

16 outpatient mental health care provided by the De17 partment to members of the reserve components of 

18 the Armed Forces. 

19 (4) The changes, as compared to the day before 

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, in staffing, 

21 training, organization, and resources required for 

22 the Department to offer readjustment counseling 

23 and outpatient mental health care to members of the 

24 reserve components of the Armed Forces. 


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1 (5) Any challenges the Department has encoun2 tered in providing readjustment counseling and out3 patient mental health care to members of the reserve 

4 components of the Armed Forces. 

5 (b) VET CENTER DEFINED.—In this section, the 

6 term ‘‘Vet Center’’ has the meaning given that term in 

7 section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States Code. 


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Calendar No. 538 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 711 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand 

and for other purposes. of the reserve components of the Armed Forces, partment of Veterans Affairs to include members eligibility for mental health services from the DeSEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Reported without amendment 


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