II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2500 

To enhance the counseling and readjustment services provided by the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 4, 2006 

Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. LAUTENBERG, and Mr. KERRY) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To enhance the counseling and readjustment services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Healing the Invisible 

5 Wounds Act of 2006’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NOTICE AND WAIT ON MODIFICATION OF HAN2 DLING OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DIS3 ORDER UNDER DISABILITY COMPENSATION 

4 RATING SYSTEM. 

5 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not implement 

6 any modification in the manner in which Post-Traumatic 

7 Stress Disorder (PTSD) is handled in the rating of serv8 ice-connected disabilities for purposes of the payment of 

9 compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States 

10 Code, until the date that is six months after the date on 

11 which the Secretary submits to the Committees on Vet12 erans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives 

13 a report on such proposed modification. 

14 SEC. 3. COUNSELING FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 

15 GUARD AND RESERVES RETURNING FROM 

16 DEPLOYMENT IN A COMBAT THEATER. 

17 (a) EXPANSION OF REUNION AND RE-ENTRY FROM

18 COMBAT PROGRAM.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

20 Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of De21 fense, shall provide to each member of the National 

22 Guard and Reserves described in subsection (b) the 

23 counseling services described in subsection (c) upon 

24 the return of such member from a deployment in a 

25 combat theater. 


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1 (2) PURPOSE OF SERVICES.—The purpose of 

2 the counseling services provided under this section is 

3 to assist members of the National Guard and Re4 serves described in subsection (b) in making the re5 adjustment to civilian life in the United States upon 

6 their return from a combat theater. 

7 (b) COVERED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

8 AND RESERVES.—A member of the National Guard and 

9 Reserves described in this subsection is any member of 

10 the National Guard or the Reserves who serves on active 

11 duty in a combat theater. 

12 (c) COUNSELING TO BE PROVIDED.—The counseling 

13 services to be provided under this subsection shall include 

14 the following: 

15 (1) A session of group counseling provided to 

16 such member together with such other number of 

17 members as the Secretary determines appropriate 

18 for the purpose of this section. 

19 (2) A session, of not less than one hour dura20 tion, of private counseling provided to such member. 

21 (3) A presentation on counseling-related mat22 ters, including on the readjustment counseling and 

23 related mental health services available under section 

24 1712A of title 38, United States Code, provided to 

25 the family of such member. 


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1 (4) Such other counseling services as the Sec2 retary determines appropriate for the purpose of this 

3 section. 

4 (d) MEANS OF PROVIDING COUNSELING.—Coun5 seling services shall be provided under this section through 

6 the personnel of the centers (commonly referred to as ‘‘vet 

7 centers’’) providing readjustment counseling and related 

8 mental health services for veterans under section 1712A 

9 of title 38, United States Code. 

10 (e) TIMING OF COUNSELING.—The counseling pro11 vided to a member of the National Guard and Reserves 

12 under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (c) shall be 

13 provided not later than 14 days after the date of the re14 turn of the member to the member’s home following a de15 ployment to a combat theater. 

16 (f) RETENTION ON ACTIVE DUTY PENDING COUN17 SELING.—A member of the National Guard and Reserves 

18 described in subsection (a) shall be retained on active duty 

19 in the Armed Forces until the provision of the counseling 

20 required to be provided under paragraphs (1) and (2) of 

21 subsection (c). 

22 (g) ADDITIONAL COUNSELING.—The Secretary shall 

23 ensure that the centers referred to in subsection (d), as 

24 part of the discharge of their functions under section 

25 1712A of title 38, United States Code, provide, and have 


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1 sufficient resources to provide, such follow-up and addi2 tional counseling services to veterans described in sub3 section (a) as such veterans shall request from such cen4 ters, in accordance with applicable law. 

5 (h) REPORT.— 

6 (1) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than one 

7 year after the date of the commencement of the pro8 vision of counseling services under this section, the 

9 Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees 

10 of Congress a report on the provision of such serv11 ices under this section. 

12 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para13 graph (1) shall include information as follows: 

14 (A) The cost of the provision of counseling 

15 services under this section. 

16 (B) An assessment of the efficacy of such 

17 services in meeting the readjustment needs of 

18 veterans described in subsection (a). 

19 (C) An assessment (based on surveys or 

20 such information as the Secretary considers ap21 propriate) of the satisfaction of veterans de22 scribed in subsection (a) with the services pro23 vided under this section, including the manner 

24 in which such services are provided. 


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1 (D) The number of followup visits for 

2 counseling and services of veterans described in 

3 subsection (a) and the number of visits of fam4 ily members of such veterans for counseling and 

5 services. 

6 (E) Such recommendations as the Sec7 retary considers appropriate in order to en8 hance the services provided under this section, 

9 including the manner in which such services are 

10 provided. 

11 (i) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE12 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate commit13 tees of Congress’’ means— 

14 (1) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and 

15 Armed Services of the Senate; and 

16 (2) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and 

17 Armed Services of the House of Representatives. 

18 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Vet20 erans Affairs for fiscal year 2007, such sums as may be 

21 necessary for the provision of counseling services under 

22 this section. 

23 SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR VET CENTERS. 

24 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Depart25 ment of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2007, 


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1 $180,000,000 for the provision of readjustment counseling 

2 and related mental health services through centers (com3 monly referred to as ‘‘vet centers’’) under section 1712A 

4 of title 38, United States Code. 

Æ 


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