I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 421 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the mental health treatment provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans who 

served in classified missions. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 20, 2015 

Ms. SINEMA (for herself, Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 

YOHO, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. HUNTER, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. BENISHEK, 

and Ms. GABBARD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 

mental health treatment provided by the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs to veterans who served in classified 

missions. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Classified Veterans 

5 Access to Care Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WHO 

2 SERVED IN CLASSIFIED MISSIONS. 

3 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that veterans who experience combat-related mental 

5 health wounds should have immediate, appropriate, and 

6 consistent access to comprehensive mental health care. 

7 (b) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of 

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

9 end the following section: 

10 ‘‘§ 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who 

11 served in classified missions 

12 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS.—(1) The 

13 Secretary shall establish standards and procedures to en14 sure that each covered veteran may access mental health 

15 care provided by the Secretary in a manner that fully ac16 commodates the obligation of the veteran to not improp17 erly disclose classified information. 

18 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall disseminate guidance to em19 ployees of the Veterans Health Administration, including 

20 mental health professionals, on the standards and proce21 dures established under paragraph (1) and how to best 

22 engage covered veterans during the course of mental 

23 health treatment with respect to classified information. 

24 ‘‘(b) IDENTIFICATION.—In carrying out this section, 

25 the Secretary shall ensure that a veteran may elect to 

26 identify as a covered veteran on an appropriate form. 


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1 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 ‘‘(1) The term ‘classified information’ means 

3 any information or material that has been deter4 mined by an official of the United States pursuant 

5 to law, an Executive order, or regulation to require 

6 protection against unauthorized disclosure for rea7 sons of national security. 

8 ‘‘(2) The term ‘covered veteran’ means a vet9 eran who— 

10 ‘‘(A) is enrolled in the health care system 

11 established under section 1705(a) of this title; 

12 ‘‘(B) is seeking mental health treatment; 

13 and 

14 ‘‘(C) in the course of serving in the Armed 

15 Forces, participated in a sensitive mission or 

16 served in a sensitive unit. 

17 ‘‘(3) The term ‘sensitive mission’ means a mis18 sion of the Armed Forces that, at the time at which 

19 a covered veteran seeks treatment, is classified. 

20 ‘‘(4) The term ‘sensitive unit’ has the meaning 

21 given that term in section 130b(c)(4) of title 10.’’. 

22 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

23 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

24 after the item relating to section 1720G the following new 

25 item: 


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‘‘1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions.’’. 

Æ 


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