I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2372 

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an assessment of all memoranda of understanding and memoranda of agreement 

between Under Secretary of Health and non-Department of Veterans 

Affairs entities relating to suicide prevention and mental health services. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 25, 2019 

Ms. UNDERWOOD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to 

conduct an assessment of all memoranda of understanding and memoranda of agreement between Under 

Secretary of Health and non-Department of Veterans 

Affairs entities relating to suicide prevention and mental 

health services. 

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 ‘‘Veterans’ Care Quality 

5 Transparency Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF MEMO2 RANDA OF UNDERSTANDING AND MEMO3 RANDA OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN UNDER 

4 SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND NON-DEPART5 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ENTITIES RE6 LATING TO SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MEN7 TAL HEALTH SERVICES. 

8 (a) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 180 days after the 

9 date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

10 of the United States shall conduct an assessment of the 

11 effectiveness of all memoranda of understanding and 

12 memoranda of agreement entered into by the Under Sec13 retary of Veterans Affairs for Health and a non-Depart14 ment of Veterans Affairs entity relating to— 

15 (1) suicide prevention activities and outreach; 

16 and 

17 (2) the provision or coordination of mental 

18 health services during the five-year period preceding 

19 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

20 (b) CONTENTS OF ASSESSMENT.—The assessment 

21 required by subsection (a) shall include an assessment 

22 of— 

23 (1) the regional variances of the non-Depart24 ment entities with which the Under Secretary has 

25 entered into a memorandum of understanding or 


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1 memorandum of agreement referred to in subsection 

2 (a); 

3 (2) the size of the catchment area of each such 

4 entity; 

5 (3) the staffing structures of such entities; 

6 (4) any accreditation or licensure any such enti7 ty has obtained in relation to the services the entity 

8 provides; 

9 (5) any variances in the subpopulations of vet10 erans served by such entities; 

11 (6) any limitations any such entity may face in 

12 carrying out its obligations under the memorandum 

13 of understanding or memorandum of agreement; 

14 (7) the extent to which the Under Secretary 

15 provides oversight and tracks outcomes of such enti16 ties; 

17 (8) any variations in the structure or require18 ments of the memoranda of understanding and 

19 memoranda of agreement; 

20 (9) a breakdown of the percentage of such enti21 ties that serve— 

22 (A) women veterans; 

23 (B) minority veterans; 

24 (C) veterans who are over the age of 55; 


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1 (D) veterans between the ages of 18 and 

2 34; and 

3 (E) veterans’ families; and 

4 (10) any measures taken to ensure the secure 

5 exchange of data and information between such enti6 ties and the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

7 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 60 days 

8 after the completion of the assessment under subsection 

9 (a), the Comptroller General shall submit to the Commit10 tees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Rep11 resentatives a report on the results of the assessment. 

Æ 


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