I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1725 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited eligibility 

for health care for mental illnesses for veterans of combat service during 

certain periods of hostilities and war. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 25, 2013 

Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, 

Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, 

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. CHU, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. 

DEUTCH, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. ENYART, Ms. ESTY, Mr. FATTAH, Ms. 

FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAHN, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JONES, Mr. 

KILDEE, Ms. KUSTER, Ms. LEE of California, Mrs. LOWEY, Mrs. 

MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. NEAL, 

Mr. NOLAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. PASTOR of Arizona, Mr. 

PETERS of Michigan, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RUSH, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Ms. 

SHEA-PORTER, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. TONKO, Ms. WATERS, Ms. DELAURO, 

Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. KAPTUR, and Ms. SINEMA) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited eligibility for health care for mental illnesses for 

veterans of combat service during certain periods of hostilities and war. 

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 ‘‘Veterans Mental 

3 Health Accessibility Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. UNLIMITED ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTH CARE FOR 

5 MENTAL ILLNESSES FOR VETERANS OF COM6 BAT SERVICE DURING CERTAIN PERIODS OF 

7 HOSTILITIES AND WAR. 

8 (a) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 1710(e)(1) of title 38, 

9 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

10 following new subparagraph: 

11 ‘‘(G) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3), a vet12 eran who served on active duty in a theater of combat 

13 operations (as determined by the Secretary in consultation 

14 with the Secretary of Defense) during World War II, the 

15 Korean conflict, the Vietnam Era, the Persian Gulf War, 

16 Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, 

17 or any other period of war after the Persian Gulf War, 

18 or in combat against a hostile force during a period of 

19 hostilities (as defined in section 1712A(a)(2)(B) of this 

20 title), is eligible for hospital care, medical services, and 

21 nursing home care under subsection (a)(2)(F) for any 

22 mental illness, notwithstanding that there is insufficient 

23 medical evidence to conclude that such illness is attrib24 utable to such service.’’. 

25 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subparagraph (G) of section 

26 1710(e)(1) of title 38, United States Code, as added by 


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1 subsection (a), shall apply with respect to hospital care, 

2 medical services, and nursing home care provided on or 

3 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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