I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8068 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain improvements 

relating to mental health and suicide prevention outreach to minority 

veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 18, 2020 

Ms. BROWNLEY of California (for herself, Mr. COLE, and Ms. TORRES SMALL

of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain 

improvements relating to mental health and suicide prevention outreach to minority veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, 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 ‘‘American Indian and 

5 Alaska Native Veterans Mental Health Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION OUT2 REACH TO MINORITY VETERANS AND AMER3 ICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE VET4 ERANS. 

5 (a) STAFFING REQUIREMENT.—Beginning not later 

6 than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

7 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each 

8 medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs has 

9 no fewer than one full-time employee whose responsibility 

10 is serving as a minority veteran coordinator. 

11 (b) TRAINING.—Not later than 180 days after the 

12 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in con13 sultation with the Director of the Office of Mental Health 

14 and Suicide Prevention of the Department of Veterans Af15 fairs, shall ensure that all minority veteran coordinators 

16 receive training in delivery of culturally appropriate men17 tal health and suicide prevention services to American In18 dian and Alaska Native veterans, especially with respect 

19 to the identified populations and tribes within the coordi20 nators’ catchment areas. 

21 (c) COORDINATION WITH SUICIDE PREVENTION CO22 ORDINATORS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 

23 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation 

24 with the Director of the Office of Mental Health and Sui25 cide Prevention, shall ensure that the suicide prevention 

26 coordinator and minority veteran coordinator of each medVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 Sep 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8068.IH H8068

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1 ical center of the Department have developed and dissemi2 nated to the director of the medical center a written plan 

3 for conducting mental health and suicide prevention out4 reach to all tribes and urban Indian health organizations 

5 within the catchment area of the medical center. Each 

6 such plan shall include for each tribe covered by the 

7 plan— 

8 (1) contact information for tribal leadership 

9 and the tribal health facility or Indian Health Serv10 ice facility serving that tribe; 

11 (2) a schedule for and list of outreach plans 

12 (including addressing any barriers to accessing De13 partment mental health care); and 

14 (3) documentation of any conversation with 

15 tribal leaders that may guide culturally appropriate 

16 delivery of mental health care to American Indian or 

17 Alaska Native veterans. 

18 (d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the en19 actment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 

20 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

21 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep22 resentatives a report on outreach efforts to minority vet23 erans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. 

24 Such report shall include each of the following: 


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1 (1) The number of minority veteran coordina2 tors within the Department. 

3 (2) The number and percentage of minority vet4 eran coordinators who are women. 

5 (3) The number and percentage of minority vet6 eran coordinators who are persons of color. 

7 (4) The number and percentage of Department 

8 medical centers with minority veteran coordinators. 

9 (5) The number and percentage of Department 

10 mental health providers who are enrolled members of 

11 a federally recognized Indian tribe or self-identify as 

12 Native American. 

13 (6) The number and percentage of Department 

14 mental health providers who speak a second lan15 guage. 

16 (7) A review of the outreach plans developed 

17 and submitted to all Department medical centers for 

18 outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native vet19 erans. 

20 (8) A review of mental health care provided an21 nually by the Department to American Indian and 

22 Alaska Native veterans for the past three years, in23 cluding number of appointments, and an assessment 

24 of any barriers to providing this care. 

Æ 


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