I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8145 

To provide for a staffing improvement plan and occupational series for licensed professional mental health counselors and marriage and family 

therapists of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 

Mrs. HAYES (for herself, Mr. RYAN, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, 

Mr. RUSH, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. 

WILD, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. SOTO, and Mr. 

CA ́RDENAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide for a staffing improvement plan and occupational 

series for licensed professional mental health counselors 

and marriage and family therapists of 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. STAFFING IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND OCCUPA2 TIONAL SERIES FOR LICENSED PROFES3 SIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS AND 

4 MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS OF DE5 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

6 (a) STAFFING PLAN.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days 

8 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec9 retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 

10 Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet11 erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a 

12 plan to address staffing shortages of licensed profes13 sional mental health counselors and marriage and 

14 family therapists of the Department of Veterans Af15 fairs. 

16 (2) ELEMENTS.—The plan required by para17 graph (1) shall include the following: 

18 (A) The number of positions for licensed 

19 professional mental health counselors and mar20 riage and family therapists of the Department 

21 that need to be filled to meet demand, 

22 disaggregated by Veterans Integrated Service 

23 Network and medical center. 

24 (B) An identification of the steps that the 

25 Secretary will take in each Veterans Integrated 


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1 Service Network to address such shortages, in2 cluding the following: 

3 (i) A description of any region-specific 

4 hiring incentives to be used by the Sec5 retary in consultation with the directors of 

6 Veterans Integrated Service Networks and 

7 medical centers of the Department. 

8 (ii) A description of any local reten9 tion or engagement incentives to be used 

10 by directors of Veterans Integrated Service 

11 Networks. 

12 (C) Such recommendations for legislative 

13 or administrative action as the Secretary, in 

14 consultation with the Inspector General of the 

15 Department of Veterans Affairs, considers nec16 essary to aid in addressing staffing shortages of 

17 licensed professional mental health counselors 

18 and marriage and family therapists of the De19 partment. 

20 (b) OCCUPATIONAL SERIES FOR CERTAIN MENTAL

21 HEALTH PROVIDERS.—Not later than one year after the 

22 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet23 erans Affairs, in consultation with the Office of Personnel 

24 Management, shall develop— 


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1 (1) an occupational series for licensed profes2 sional mental health counselors of the Department 

3 of Veterans Affairs; and 

4 (2) an occupational series for marriage and 

5 family therapists of the Department. 

6 (c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the sub7 mittal of the plan required by subsection (a), the Secretary 

8 shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

9 Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

10 House of Representatives a report setting forth the num11 ber of licensed professional mental health counselors and 

12 marriage and family therapists hired by the Department 

13 during the one-year period preceding the submittal of the 

14 report, disaggregated by Veterans Integrated Service Net15 work and medical center. 

Æ 


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