II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1155 

To provide for advance appropriations for certain information technology 

accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to include mental health 

professionals in training programs of the Department, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 12, 2013 

Mr. TESTER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide for advance appropriations for certain information 

technology accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to include mental health professionals in training 

programs of the Department, 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 ‘‘Rural Veterans Mental 

5 Health Care Improvement Act’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR ACCOUNTS FOR 

2 HEALTH-RELATED INFORMATION TECH3 NOLOGY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VET4 ERANS AFFAIRS. 

5 (a) ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR INFORMATION

6 TECHNOLOGY ACCOUNTS.—Section 117(c) of title 38, 

7 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

8 following: 

9 ‘‘(4) Accounts, including subaccounts of the Ac10 counts referred to in paragraphs (1) through (3), 

11 providing funds for information technology.’’. 

12 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

13 subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2014, and 

14 shall apply with respect to fiscal years beginning on or 

15 after that date. 

16 SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS 

17 IN THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM 

18 FOR HEALTH PERSONNEL OF THE DEPART19 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the education and 

21 training program required under section 7302(a)(1) of 

22 title 38, United States Code, the Secretary of Veterans 

23 Affairs shall include education and training of marriage 

24 and family therapists and licensed professional mental 

25 health counselors. 

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1 (b) FUNDING.—The Secretary shall apportion fund2 ing for the education and training program equally among 

3 the professions included in the program. 

4 SEC. 4. PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR 

5 FAMILIES OF CERTAIN VETERANS AT FACILI6 TIES OF THE DEPARTMENT. 

7 (a) PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT

8 DEPARTMENT FACILITIES.—Subsection (e) of section 304 

9 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services 

10 Act of 2010 (38 U.S.C. 1712A note; Public Law 111– 

11 163) is amended— 

12 (1) by striking ‘‘PEER OUTREACH AND PEER

13 SUPPORT SERVICES’’ and inserting ‘‘SERVICES’’; 

14 and 

15 (2) by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall carry out 

16 the services’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary shall 

17 carry out— 

18 ‘‘(1) the services’’; 

19 (3) by striking the period at the end and insert20 ing ‘‘; and’’; and 

21 (4) by adding at the end the following new 

22 paragraph: 

23 ‘‘(2) the mental health services required by sub24 section (a)(2) at or through Department medical 

25 centers.’’. 

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1 (b) DEFINITION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.— 

2 Such section is further amended by striking subsection (f) 

3 and inserting the following: 

4 ‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

5 ‘‘(1) MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.—The term 

6 ‘mental health services’ includes outpatient mental 

7 healthcare referred to in section 17.38(a)(1)(i) of 

8 title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on 

9 the day before the date of enactment of this Act). 

10 ‘‘(2) VET CENTER.—The term ‘vet center’ 

11 means a center for readjustment counseling and re12 lated mental health services for veterans under sec13 tion 1712A of title 38, United States Code.’’. 

14 SEC. 5. REPORT ON PROVISION OF TELEMEDICINE SERV15 ICES. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

17 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet18 erans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 

19 Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af20 fairs of the House of Representatives a report on the fol21 lowing: 

22 (1) Issues that may be impeding the provision 

23 by the Department of Veterans Affairs of telemedi24 cine services for veterans, including the following: 

25 (A) Statutory or regulatory restrictions. 

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1 (B) Licensure or credentialing issues for 

2 any provider practicing telemedicine with vet3 erans who live in a different State than the pro4 vider. 

5 (C) Limited broadband access in rural 

6 areas. 

7 (D) Limited information technology re8 sources or capabilities. 

9 (E) Long distances veterans must travel to 

10 access a facility or clinic with telemedicine ca11 pabilities. 

12 (F) Insufficient liability protection for pro13 viders. 

14 (G) Reimbursement issues faced by pro15 viders. 

16 (H) Travel limitations for providers that 

17 are unaffiliated with the Department and are 

18 participating or seeking to participate in a tele19 medicine program of the Department. 

20 (2) Actions taken to address the issues identi21 fied in paragraph (1). 

22 (3) An update on efforts by the Department to 

23 carry out the initiative of teleconsultation for the 

24 provision of remote mental health and traumatic 

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1 brain injury assessments required by section 1709A 

2 of title 38, United States Code. 

3 (4) An update on efforts by the Department to 

4 offer training opportunities in telemedicine to med5 ical residents, as required by section 108(b) of the 

6 Janey Ensminger Act (Public Law 112–154; 38 

7 U.S.C. 7406 note). 

8 (5) An update on efforts by the Department to, 

9 in partnership with primary care providers, install 

10 video cameras and instruments to monitor weight, 

11 blood pressure, and other vital statistics in the 

12 homes of patients. 

13 (b) TELEMEDICINE DEFINED.—In this section, the 

14 term ‘‘telemedicine’’ means the use by a health care pro15 vider of telecommunications to assist in the diagnosis or 

16 treatment of a patient’s medical condition. 

Æ 

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