I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2689 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program for 

the provision of readjustment and mental health services to veterans 

who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 12, 2007 

Mr. RODRIGUEZ (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. SIRES, and Mr. PEARCE) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 

a program for the provision of readjustment and mental 

health services to veterans who served in Operation Iraqi 

Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF READJUSTMENT 

2 AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO 

3 VETERANS WHO SERVED IN OPERATION 

4 IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING 

5 FREEDOM. 

6 (a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 

7 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

8 of Veterans Affairs shall establish a program to provide— 

9 (1) to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and 

10 Operation Enduring Freedom, particularly veterans 

11 who served in such operations while in the National 

12 Guard and the Reserves— 

13 (A) peer outreach services; 

14 (B) peer support services; 

15 (C) readjustment counseling and services 

16 described in section 1712A of title 38, United 

17 States Code; and 

18 (D) mental health services; and 

19 (2) to members of the immediate family of such 

20 a veteran, during the three-year period beginning on 

21 the date of the return of such veteran from deploy22 ment in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 

23 Enduring Freedom, education, support, counseling, 

24 and mental health services to assist in— 

25 (A) the readjustment of such veteran to ci26 vilian life; 


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1 (B) in the case such veteran has an injury 

2 or illness incurred during such deployment, the 

3 recovery of such veteran; and 

4 (C) the readjustment of the family fol5 lowing the return of such veteran. 

6 (b) CONTRACTS WITH COMMUNITY MENTAL

7 HEALTH CENTERS AND QUALIFIED ENTITIES FOR PRO8 VISION OF SERVICES.—In carrying out the program re9 quired by subsection (a), the Secretary shall contract with 

10 community mental health centers and other qualified enti11 ties to provide the services required by such subsection 

12 in areas the Secretary determines are not adequately 

13 served by other health care facilities of the Department 

14 of Veterans Affairs. Such contracts shall require each con15 tracting community health center or entity— 

16 (1) to the extent practicable, to employ veterans 

17 trained under subsection (c); 

18 (2) to the extent practicable, to use telehealth 

19 services for the delivery of services required by sub20 section (a); 

21 (3) to participate in the training program con22 ducted in accordance with subsection (d); 

23 (4) to comply with applicable protocols of the 

24 Department of Veterans Affairs before incurring any 


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1 liability on behalf of the Department for the provi2 sion of the services required by subsection (a); 

3 (5) to submit annual reports to the Secretary 

4 containing, with respect to the program required by 

5 subsection (a) and for the last full calendar year 

6 ending before the submission of such report— 

7 (A) the number of the veterans served, vet8 erans diagnosed, and courses of treatment pro9 vided to veterans as part of the program re10 quired by subsection (a); and 

11 (B) demographic information for such 

12 services, diagnoses, and courses of treatment; 

13 (6) for each veteran for whom a community 

14 mental health center or other qualified entity pro15 vides mental health services under such contract, to 

16 provide the Department of Veterans Affairs with 

17 such clinical summary information as the Secretary 

18 shall require; and 

19 (7) to meet such other requirements as the Sec20 retary shall require. 

21 (c) TRAINING OF VETERANS FOR THE PROVISION OF

22 PEER-OUTREACH AND PEER-SUPPORT SERVICES.—In 

23 carrying out the program required by subsection (a), the 

24 Secretary shall contract with a national not-for-profit 

25 mental health organization to carry out a national proVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:16 Jun 13, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2689.IH H2689

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1 gram of training for veterans described in subsection (a) 

2 to provide the services described in subparagraphs (A) and 

3 (B) of paragraph (1) of such subsection. 

4 (d) TRAINING OF CLINICIANS FOR PROVISION OF

5 SERVICES.—The Secretary shall conduct a training pro6 gram for clinicians of community mental health centers 

7 or entities that have contracts with the Secretary under 

8 subsection (b) to ensure that such clinicians can provide 

9 the services required by subsection (a) in a manner that— 

10 (1) recognizes factors that are unique to the ex11 perience of veterans who served on active duty in 

12 Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 

13 Freedom (including their combat and military train14 ing experiences); and 

15 (2) utilizes best practices and technologies. 

16 (e) REPORTS REQUIRED.— 

17 (1) INITIAL REPORT ON PLAN FOR IMPLEMEN18 TATION.—Not later than 45 days after the date of 

19 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

20 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 

21 and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

22 House of Representatives a report containing the 

23 plans of the Secretary to implement the program re24 quired by subsection (a). 


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1 (2) STATUS REPORT.—Not later than one year 

2 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec3 retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 

4 Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet5 erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a re6 port on the implementation of the program. Such re7 port shall include the following: 

8 (A) Information on the number of veterans 

9 who received services as part of the program 

10 and the type of services received during the last 

11 full calendar year completed before the submis12 sion of such report. 

13 (B) An evaluation of the provision of serv14 ices under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) and 

15 a recommendation as to whether the period de16 scribed in such paragraph should be extended 

17 to a five-year period. 

18 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

19 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Vet20 erans Affairs such sums as may be necessary to carry out 

21 this section. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTH CARE 

2 SERVICES FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

3 AFFAIRS FOR VETERANS OF SERVICE IN 

4 COMBAT THEATER. 

5 Section 1710(e)(3)(C) of title 38, United States 

6 Code, is amended by striking ‘‘2 years’’ and inserting ‘‘5 

7 years’’. 

Æ 


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