II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2386 

To amend the VA MISSION Act of 2018, to expand the peer specialist 

support program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to all medical 

centers of the Department, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 20, 2021 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mr. BLUNT) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the VA MISSION Act of 2018, to expand the 

peer specialist support program of the Department of 

Veterans Affairs to all medical centers 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 ‘‘Veteran Peer Specialist 

5 Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF PEER SPECIALIST SUPPORT PRO2 GRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF3 FAIRS. 

4 (a) EXPANSION.—Section 506 of the VA MISSION 

5 Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–182; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) 

6 is amended— 

7 (1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) 

8 as subsections (e) through (g); 

9 (2) in subsection (b), in the subsection heading, 

10 by striking ‘‘TIMEFRAME’’ and inserting ‘‘INITIAL

11 TIMEFRAME’’; 

12 (3) in subsection (c)— 

13 (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 

14 ‘‘SELECTION’’ and inserting ‘‘INITIAL SELEC15 TION’’; and 

16 (B) in paragraph (1), in the matter pre17 ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘The Sec18 retary shall’’ and inserting ‘‘In establishing the 

19 program at initial locations, the Secretary 

20 shall’’; 

21 (4) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol22 lowing new subsection: 

23 ‘‘(d) TIMEFRAME FOR EXPANSION OF PROGRAM; SE24 LECTION OF ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS.— 

25 ‘‘(1) TIMEFRAME FOR EXPANSION.—The Sec26 retary shall make permanent and expand the proVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:32 Jul 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2386.IS S2386

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1 gram to additional medical centers of the Depart2 ment as follows: 

3 ‘‘(A) As of the date of the enactment of 

4 the Veteran Peer Specialist Act of 2021, at 

5 each medical center participating in the pro6 gram on the day before such date of enactment. 

7 ‘‘(B) During the five-year period following 

8 such date of enactment, at an additional 25 

9 medical centers per year until the program is 

10 carried out at each medical center of the De11 partment. 

12 ‘‘(2) SELECTION OF ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS.— 

13 In selecting medical centers for the expansion of the 

14 program under paragraph (1)(B), until such time as 

15 each medical center of the Department is partici16 pating in the program by establishing not fewer than 

17 two peer specialists at the medical center, the Sec18 retary shall prioritize medical centers in the fol19 lowing areas: 

20 ‘‘(A) Rural areas and other areas that are 

21 underserved by the Department. 

22 ‘‘(B) Areas that are not in close proximity 

23 to an active duty military installation. 


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1 ‘‘(C) Areas representing different geo2 graphic locations, such as census tracts estab3 lished by the Bureau of the Census.’’; 

4 (5) in subsection (e), as redesignated by para5 graph (1)— 

6 (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 

7 ‘‘GENDER-SPECIFIC SERVICES’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘CONSIDERATIONS FOR HIRING PEER SPE9 CIALISTS’’; 

10 (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 

11 by striking ‘‘location selected under subsection 

12 (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘medical center’’; and 

13 (C) by striking paragraph (2) and insert14 ing the following new paragraphs: 

15 ‘‘(2) female peer specialists are hired and made 

16 available to support female veterans who are treated 

17 at each medical center; and 

18 ‘‘(3) to the extent practical, peer specialists are 

19 hired in demographic percentages that reflect the ra20 cial and ethnic demographic percentages of the over21 all veteran population.’’; and 

22 (6) by amending subsection (g), as redesignated 

23 by paragraph (1), to read as follows: 

24 ‘‘(g) REPORTS.— 

25 ‘‘(1) PERIODIC REPORTS.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one 

2 year after the date of the enactment of the Vet3 eran Peer Specialist Act of 2021, and annually 

4 thereafter for five years, the Secretary shall 

5 submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

6 of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ 

7 Affairs of the House of Representatives a re8 port on the program, including the expansion of 

9 the program under subsection (d)(1). 

10 ‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—Each report under sub11 paragraph (A) shall include, with respect to the 

12 one-year period preceding the submission of the 

13 report, the following: 

14 ‘‘(i) The findings and conclusions of 

15 the Secretary with respect to the program. 

16 ‘‘(ii) An assessment of the benefits of 

17 the program to veterans and family mem18 bers of veterans. 

19 ‘‘(iii) An assessment of the effective20 ness of peer specialists in engaging under 

21 subsection (f) with health care providers in 

22 the community and veterans served by 

23 such providers. 


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1 ‘‘(iv) The name and location of each 

2 medical center where new peer specialists 

3 were hired. 

4 ‘‘(v) The number of new peer special5 ists hired at each medical center pursuant 

6 to this section and the total number of 

7 peer specialists within the Department 

8 hired pursuant to this section. 

9 ‘‘(vi) An assessment of any barriers 

10 confronting the recruitment, training, or 

11 retention of peer specialists. 

12 ‘‘(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 

13 after the Secretary determines that the program is 

14 being carried out at each medical center of the De15 partment, the Secretary shall submit to the Com16 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

17 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

18 Representatives a report notifying such committees 

19 of that determination.’’. 

20 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

21 authorized to be appropriated to carry out the amend22 ments made by this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 

23 years 2022 through 2027. 

Æ 


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