I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1476 

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to State 

and local entities to carry out peer-to-peer mental health programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2021 

Mr. ZELDIN (for himself, Mr. GARBARINO, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. CRENSHAW, 

Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, Mr. STEUBE, Mrs. 

WALORSKI, Mr. KILMER, Mr. BACON, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. 

STEIL, Mr. ROSE, Mr. CAWTHORN, and Mr. FEENSTRA) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make 

grants to State and local entities to carry out peerto-peer mental health programs. 

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 ‘‘PFC Joseph P. Dwyer 

5 Peer Support Program Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PFC JOSEPH P. DWYER PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

8 shall establish a grant program to be known as the ‘‘PFC 


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1 Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program’’ under which the 

2 Secretary shall make grants to eligible entities for the pur3 pose of establishing peer-to-peer mental health programs 

4 for veterans. 

5 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—In this section, 

6 the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means any of the following enti7 ties that submit to the Secretary an application containing 

8 such information and assurances as the Secretary may re9 quire: 

10 (1) A nonprofit organization having historically 

11 served veterans’ mental health needs. 

12 (2) A congressionally chartered veteran service 

13 organization. 

14 (3) A State, local, or Tribal veteran service 

15 agency, director, or commissioner. 

16 (c) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The recipient of a grant 

17 under this section shall receive a grant in an amount that 

18 does not exceed $250,000. 

19 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—The recipient of a grant under 

20 this section shall use the grant funds to— 

21 (1) carry out a program that meets the stand22 ards developed under subsection (e); 

23 (2) hire veterans to serve as peer specialists to 

24 host group and individual meetings with veterans 

25 seeking nonclinical support; 


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1 (3) provide mental health support to veterans 

2 24 hours each day, seven days each week; and 

3 (4) hire staff to support the program. 

4 (e) PROGRAM STANDARDS.— 

5 (1) ADVISORY COMMISSION.—The Secretary 

6 shall establish an advisory committee for the pur7 pose of creating appropriate standards applicable to 

8 programs established using grants under this sec9 tion. 

10 (2) STANDARDS.—The standards developed 

11 under paragraph (1) shall include initial and contin12 ued training for veteran peer volunteers, administra13 tive staffing needs, and best practices for addressing 

14 the needs of each veteran served. 

15 (f) NONRETENTION OF RECORDS.—The Secretary 

16 may not require the recipient of a grant under this section 

17 to maintain records on veterans seeking support or to re18 port any personally identifying information directly or in19 directly to the Secretary about such veterans. 

20 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

21 authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 to carry out 

22 this section during the 3-year period beginning on the date 

23 of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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