I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2798 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot program 

on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated 

from service in the Armed Forces. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 16, 2019 

Ms. BROWNLEY of California introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent 

the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for 

women veterans newly separated from service in the 

Armed Forces. 

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 ‘‘Building Supportive 

5 Networks for Women Veterans Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COUNSELING IN RETREAT SETTINGS FOR WOMEN 

2 VETERANS NEWLY SEPARATED FROM SERV3 ICE IN THE ARMED FORCES. 

4 (a) PERMANENT PROGRAM.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, 

6 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

7 section 1712C the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 1712D. Counseling in retreat settings for women 

9 veterans newly separated 

10 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM.—(1) Commencing on January 1, 

11 2021, the Secretary shall carry out, through the Readjust12 ment Counseling Service of the Veterans Health Adminis13 tration, a program to provide reintegration and readjust14 ment services described in subsection (b) in group retreat 

15 settings to women veterans who are recently separated 

16 from service in the Armed Forces after a prolonged de17 ployment. 

18 ‘‘(2) The participation of a veteran in the program 

19 under paragraph (1) shall be at the election of the veteran. 

20 ‘‘(b) COVERED SERVICES.—The services provided to 

21 a woman veteran under the program under subsection 

22 (a)(1) shall include the following: 

23 ‘‘(1) Information on reintegration into the fam24 ily, employment, and community of the veteran. 

25 ‘‘(2) Financial counseling. 

26 ‘‘(3) Occupational counseling. 


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1 ‘‘(4) Information and counseling on stress re2 duction. 

3 ‘‘(5) Information and counseling on conflict res4 olution. 

5 ‘‘(6) Such other information and counseling as 

6 the Secretary considers appropriate to assist the vet7 eran in reintegration into the family, employment, 

8 and community of the veteran. 

9 ‘‘(c) BIENNIAL REPORTS.—Not later than December 

10 31, 2022, and each even-numbered year thereafter, the 

11 Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af12 fairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 

13 report on the program under subsection (a)(1).’’. 

14 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec15 tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 

16 by inserting after the item relating to section 1712C 

17 the following new item: 

‘‘1712D. Counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated.’’. 

18 (b) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Effective December 31, 

19 2020, section 203 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omni20 bus Health Services Act of 2010 (38 U.S.C. 1712A note) 

21 is repealed. 

Æ 


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