IIB 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2915 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 10, 2016 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

AN ACT 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to identify mental health care 

and suicide prevention programs and metrics that are 

effective in treating women veterans as part of the evaluation of such programs by the Secretary, and for other 

purposes. 


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HR 2915 RFS 

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 ‘‘Female Veteran Sui5 cide Prevention Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SPECIFIC CONSIDERATION OF WOMEN VETERANS 

7 IN EVALUATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VET8 ERANS AFFAIRS MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND 

9 SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. 

10 Section 1709B(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, 

11 is amended— 

12 (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the 

13 semicolon the following: ‘‘, including specific metrics 

14 applicable to women’’; 

15 (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

16 the end; 

17 (3) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period 

18 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

19 (4) by adding at the end the following new sub20 paragraph: 

21 ‘‘(F) identify the mental health care and suicide 

22 prevention programs conducted by the Secretary 

23 that are most effective for women veterans and such 

24 programs with the highest satisfaction rates among 

25 women veterans.’’. 


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HR 2915 RFS 

1 SEC. 3. MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WHO 

2 SERVED IN CLASSIFIED MISSIONS. 

3 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that veterans who experience combat-related mental 

5 health wounds should have immediate, appropriate, and 

6 consistent access to comprehensive mental health care. 

7 (b) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of 

8 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

9 end the following section: 

10 ‘‘§ 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who 

11 served in classified missions 

12 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS.—(1) The 

13 Secretary shall establish standards and procedures to en14 sure that each covered veteran may access mental health 

15 care provided by the Secretary in a manner that fully ac16 commodates the obligation of the veteran to not improp17 erly disclose classified information. 

18 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall disseminate guidance to em19 ployees of the Veterans Health Administration, including 

20 mental health professionals, on the standards and proce21 dures established under paragraph (1) and how to best 

22 engage covered veterans during the course of mental 

23 health treatment with respect to classified information. 

24 ‘‘(b) IDENTIFICATION.—In carrying out this section, 

25 the Secretary shall ensure that a veteran may elect to 

26 identify as a covered veteran on an appropriate form. 


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HR 2915 RFS 

1 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 ‘‘(1) The term ‘classified information’ means 

3 any information or material that has been deter4 mined by an official of the United States pursuant 

5 to law, an Executive order, or regulation to require 

6 protection against unauthorized disclosure for rea7 sons of national security. 

8 ‘‘(2) The term ‘covered veteran’ means a vet9 eran who— 

10 ‘‘(A) is enrolled in the health care system 

11 established under section 1705(a) of this title; 

12 ‘‘(B) is seeking mental health treatment; 

13 and 

14 ‘‘(C) in the course of serving in the Armed 

15 Forces, participated in a sensitive mission or 

16 served in a sensitive unit. 

17 ‘‘(3) The term ‘sensitive mission’ means a mis18 sion of the Armed Forces that, at the time at which 

19 a covered veteran seeks treatment, is classified. 

20 ‘‘(4) The term ‘sensitive unit’ has the meaning 

21 given that term in section 130b(c)(4) of title 10.’’. 

22 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

23 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

24 after the item relating to section 1720G the following new 

25 item: 


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HR 2915 RFS 

‘‘1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives February 9, 

2016. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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