I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2226 

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

Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide readjustment counseling 

and related mental health services to veterans through the use of mobile 

centers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 8, 2007 

Mr. WELCH of Vermont 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 carry out a pilot program 

to provide readjustment counseling and related mental 

health services to veterans through the use of mobile 

centers. 

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. PILOT PROGRAM FOR DELIVERY OF READJUST2 MENT COUNSELING AND MENTAL HEALTH 

3 SERVICES TO VETERANS THROUGH MOBILE 

4 VET CENTERS. 

5 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United 

6 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1712B 

7 the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 1712C. Pilot program for delivery of readjustment 

9 counseling and mental health services 

10 through mobile Vet Centers 

11 ‘‘(a) PILOT PROGRAM.—To improve access to mental 

12 health services in rural areas, the Secretary shall carry 

13 out a pilot program under which the Secretary shall pro14 vide readjustment counseling and related mental health 

15 services through the use of mobile centers (as that term 

16 is defined in section 1712A(i)(1)), to be known as ‘mobile 

17 Vet Centers’. In carrying out the pilot program, the Sec18 retary shall determine the most effective manner in which 

19 to operate the mobile Vet Centers. 

20 ‘‘(b) SCOPE AND LOCATION.—(1) The Secretary shall 

21 establish two mobile Vet Centers in each of the following 

22 five Veterans Integrated Service Networks: 

23 ‘‘(A) Veterans Integrated Service Network 1. 

24 ‘‘(B) Veterans Integrated Service Network 16. 

25 ‘‘(C) Veterans Integrated Service Network 19. 

26 ‘‘(D) Veterans Integrated Service Network 20. 


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1 ‘‘(E) Veterans Integrated Service Network 23. 

2 ‘‘(2) Within each Veterans Integrated Service Net3 work under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall determine 

4 the area to be serviced by each mobile Vet Center. In mak5 ing that determination, the Secretary shall give priority 

6 to areas in which limited mental health services are avail7 able. 

8 ‘‘(3) If the Secretary determines that mobile Vet Cen9 ters in addition to such centers required under paragraph 

10 (1) are warranted, the Secretary may establish additional 

11 mobile Vet Centers and may establish such centers in Vet12 erans Integrated Service Networks other than the Vet13 erans Integrated Service Networks referred to in that 

14 paragraph. Upon such a determination by the Secretary, 

15 the Secretary shall notify the Committees on Veterans’ Af16 fairs of the Senate and House of Representatives of such 

17 determination. 

18 ‘‘(c) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out a 

19 pilot program under this section shall terminate on the 

20 date that is three years after the date of the enactment 

21 of this section. 

22 ‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

23 on which the pilot program terminates under subsection 

24 (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Vet25 erans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives 


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1 a report on the pilot program. Such report shall describe 

2 how the Secretary established and carried out the pilot 

3 program and include an evaluation of the Secretary of the 

4 benefits and disadvantages of providing readjustment 

5 counseling and related mental health services through the 

6 use of mobile Vet Centers.’’. 

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

8 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

9 after the item related to section 1712B the following new 

10 item: 

‘‘1712C. Pilot program for delivery of readjustment counseling and mental 

health services through mobile Vet Centers.’’. 

Æ 


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