I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4684 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to furnish mental health care to certain former members of 

the Armed Forces who are not otherwise eligible to receive such care, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 3, 2016 

Mr. COFFMAN (for himself, Mr. KILMER, and Miss RICE of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish mental health care 

to certain former members of the Armed Forces who 

are not otherwise eligible to receive such care, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veteran Urgent Access 

5 to Mental Healthcare Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF INITIAL AND URGENT MENTAL 

2 HEALTH CARE FOR CERTAIN FORMER MEM3 BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United 

5 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1720G 

6 the following new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 1720H. Provision of initial and urgent mental 

8 health care for certain former members 

9 not otherwise eligible for care 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall operate a 

11 program under which the Secretary provides to former 

12 members of the Armed Forces described in subsection 

13 (b)— 

14 ‘‘(1) an initial mental health assessment; and 

15 ‘‘(2) any health care services authorized under 

16 this chapter that the Secretary determines are re17 quired to treat the urgent mental health care needs 

18 of the former member, including risk of suicide or 

19 harming others. 

20 ‘‘(b) FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES

21 DESCRIBED.—A former member of the Armed Forces de22 scribed in this subsection is an individual who meets either 

23 of the following criteria: 

24 ‘‘(1) The individual is a former member of the 

25 Armed Forces, including the reserve components, 

26 who— 


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1 ‘‘(A) served in the active military, naval, or 

2 air service, and was discharged or released 

3 therefrom under a condition that is not honor4 able except— 

5 ‘‘(i) dishonorable; or 

6 ‘‘(ii) bad conduct by reason of the 

7 sentence of a general court martial; 

8 ‘‘(B) has applied for a character of service 

9 determination and such determination has not 

10 been made; and 

11 ‘‘(C) is not otherwise eligible to enroll in 

12 the health care system established by section 

13 1705 of this title by reason of such discharge 

14 or release not meeting the requirements of sec15 tion 101(2) of this title. 

16 ‘‘(2) The individual is a veteran described in 

17 section 1705(a)(8) of this title. 

18 ‘‘(c) CONTRACT.—In furnishing mental health care 

19 services to an individual under this section, the Secretary 

20 may provide such mental health care services pursuant to 

21 a contract with a qualified mental health professional if— 

22 ‘‘(1) in the judgment of a mental health profes23 sional employed by the Department, the receipt of 

24 mental health care services by that individual in faVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Mar 04, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4684.IH H4684

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1 cilities of the Department would be clinically inadvis2 able; or 

3 ‘‘(2) facilities of the Department are not capa4 ble of furnishing such mental health care services to 

5 that individual economically because of geographical 

6 inaccessibility. 

7 ‘‘(d) TRAINING.—In establishing a program to pro8 vide mental health care services under subsection (a), the 

9 Secretary shall— 

10 ‘‘(1) provide for appropriate training of mental 

11 health professionals and such other health care per12 sonnel as the Secretary determines necessary to 

13 carry out the program effectively; 

14 ‘‘(2) seek to ensure that such mental health 

15 care services is furnished in a setting that is thera16 peutically appropriate, taking into account the cir17 cumstances that resulted in the need for such men18 tal health care services; and 

19 ‘‘(3) provide referral services to assist former 

20 members who are not eligible for services under this 

21 chapter to obtain those from sources outside the De22 partment. 

23 ‘‘(e) INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall provide in24 formation on the mental health care services available 


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1 under this section. Efforts by the Secretary to provide 

2 such information— 

3 ‘‘(1) shall include availability of a toll-free tele4 phone number (commonly referred to as an 800 

5 number); 

6 ‘‘(2) shall ensure that information about the 

7 mental health care services available under this sec8 tion— 

9 ‘‘(A) is revised and updated as appro10 priate; 

11 ‘‘(B) is made available and visibly posted 

12 at appropriate facilities of the Department; and 

13 ‘‘(C) is made available through appropriate 

14 public information services; and 

15 ‘‘(3) shall include coordination with the Sec16 retary of Defense seeking to ensure that members of 

17 the Armed Forces and individuals who are being 

18 separated from active military, naval, or air service 

19 are provided appropriate information about pro20 grams, requirements, and procedures for applying 

21 for mental health care services under this section. 

22 ‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Each year, the Secretary 

23 shall submit to Congress an annual report on the mental 

24 health care services provided pursuant to this section. 


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1 Each report shall include data for the year covered by the 

2 report with respect to each of the following: 

3 ‘‘(1) The number of individuals who received 

4 mental health care services under subsection (a), 

5 disaggregated by the number of men who received 

6 such services and the number of women who re7 ceived such services. 

8 ‘‘(2) Such other information as the Secretary 

9 considers appropriate.’’. 

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

11 at the beginning of chapter 17 of title 38, United States 

12 Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

13 section 1720G the following new item: 

‘‘1720H. Provision of initial and urgent mental health care not otherwise eligible 

for care.’’. 

14 (c) STUDY ON EFFECT OF COMBAT SERVICE ON SUI15 CIDE RATES.— 

16 (1) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

17 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall 

18 seek to enter into a contract with an independent 

19 nongovernmental entity to carry out a study on the 

20 effect combat service has had on suicide rates and 

21 serious mental health issues among veterans. To the 

22 extent practicable, such study shall— 

23 (A) compare the rate and method of sui24 cides among veterans who have received mental 


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1 health care services from the Veterans Health 

2 Administration and veterans who have not re3 ceived such services from the Veterans Health 

4 Administration; and 

5 (B) compare the rate and method of sui6 cides and the incidence of serious mental health 

7 issues among veterans who have served in com8 bat and veterans who have not served in com9 bat. 

10 (2) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 

11 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

12 Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report 

13 containing the study conducted under paragraph (1). 

Æ 


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