II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1881 

To expand eligibility for health care under the Veterans Access, Choice, 

and Accountability Act of 2014 to include certain veterans seeking mental 

health care, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 

Mrs. ERNST (for herself, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. GRASSLEY, and Mr. CORNYN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To expand eligibility for health care under the Veterans 

Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to include 

certain veterans seeking mental health care, 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 ‘‘Prioritizing Veterans 

5 Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017’’. 


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•S 1881 IS

1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN VETERANS 

2 SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR 

3 HEALTH CARE FROM NON-DEPARTMENT OF 

4 VETERANS AFFAIRS ENTITIES. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 101(b)(2) of the Veterans 

6 Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public 

7 Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended— 

8 (1) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ‘‘; or’’ 

9 and inserting a semicolon; 

10 (2) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II)(dd), by striking 

11 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

12 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub13 paragraph: 

14 ‘‘(E) provides a statement in writing that 

15 the veteran seeks mental health care from the 

16 Department and has not received timely and 

17 adequate mental health care through a facility 

18 or health care provider of the Department.’’. 

19 (b) SUBMISSION OF STATEMENT IN WRITING.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—In providing for a statement 

21 in writing under subparagraph (E) of section 

22 101(b)(2) of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Ac23 countability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–146; 38 

24 U.S.C. 1701 note), as added by subsection (a), the 

25 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop proceVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:13 Sep 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1881.IS S1881

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1 dures for the submission by veterans of such state2 ment— 

3 (A) electronically, through the primary 

4 Internet website of the Department of Veterans 

5 Affairs that is available to the public; and 

6 (B) in person or by fax to the Non-VA 

7 Care Communication Office of each medical fa8 cility of the Department. 

9 (2) COMPONENTS OF STATEMENT.—The Sec10 retary shall require that any veteran that submits a 

11 statement in writing described in paragraph (1) in12 clude the following: 

13 (A) The earliest date that the Department 

14 provided to the veteran for an appointment for 

15 the receipt of mental health care through a fa16 cility or health care provider of the Depart17 ment, or, if no date was provided, an indication 

18 that no appointment date was provided. 

19 (B) The earliest date of an appointment of 

20 the veteran for the receipt of mental health care 

21 that was offered by a non-Department health 

22 care provider, if applicable. 

23 (C) A certification by the veteran that the 

24 veteran cannot reasonably wait for an appointVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:13 Sep 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1881.IS S1881

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1 ment for mental health care through a facility 

2 or health care provider of the Department. 

3 (D) Feedback by the veteran with respect 

4 to the timeliness and adequacy of mental health 

5 care furnished by the Department. 

6 (3) RECEIPT OF STATEMENT.—Upon the re7 ceipt by the Department of a statement in writing 

8 described in paragraph (1) by a veteran, the Sec9 retary shall provide a confirmation to the veteran 

10 that the Secretary has received the statement in 

11 writing— 

12 (A) in the form of an immediate auto13 mated confirmation, if the statement in writing 

14 was submitted electronically; and 

15 (B) in the form of an immediate written 

16 confirmation, if the statement in writing was 

17 submitted in person or by fax. 

18 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

19 101(q)(2)(A) of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Ac20 countability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 

21 1701 note) is amended— 

22 (1) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and in23 serting a semicolon; 

24 (2) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the 

25 end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 


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1 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

2 clause: 

3 ‘‘(v) eligible veterans described in sub4 section (b)(2)(E).’’. 

5 SEC. 3. PRIORITIZATION OF HIRING INCENTIVES TO AD6 DRESS NEED FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS 

7 AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

8 In carrying out hiring incentives for health profes9 sionals at the Department of Veterans Affairs, including 

10 the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Professionals 

11 Educational Assistance Program under chapter 76 of title 

12 38, United States Code, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

13 shall give priority to those health professionals for which 

14 there is the greatest need in the Department, such as psy15 chiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health care pro16 viders. 

17 SEC. 4. SOURCE OF AMOUNTS. 

18 Such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act 

19 and the amendments made by this Act shall be derived 

20 from amounts appropriated under section 801 of the Vet21 erans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 

22 (Public Law 113–146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note). 


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1 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

2 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 

3 take effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of 

4 the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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