I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1216 

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center in Prescott, 

Arizona, as the ‘‘Dr. Cameron McKinley Department of Veterans Affairs 

Veterans Center’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 15, 2013 

Mr. GOSAR (for himself, Mr. BARBER, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Ms. SINEMA, 

and Mr. PASTOR of Arizona) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center 

in Prescott, Arizona, as the ‘‘Dr. Cameron McKinley 

Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Center’’. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) Dr. Cameron K. McKinley was born on De6 cember 9, 1930, in Shreveport, Louisiana. 


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1 (2) Dr. McKinley served in the U.S. Marine 

2 Corps Reserve in Shreveport, Louisiana, from 1947 

3 to 1949. 

4 (3) Dr. McKinley served valiantly at Wiesbaden 

5 Air Force Hospital during and after the Vietnam 

6 War, providing therapy to military personnel and 

7 their families. 

8 (4) Dr. McKinley served with great distinction 

9 as the Chief of Psychology at the Veterans Affairs 

10 Hospital in Prescott, Arizona, from 1981–1995. 

11 (5) At the Prescott Veterans Affairs Hospital, 

12 Dr. McKinley organized a ‘‘Rap Group’’ for Vietnam 

13 Era veterans dealing with various degrees of post14 traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That group of 

15 veterans formed the Vietnam Veterans of America, 

16 Chapter 95. 

17 (6) Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 95, 

18 in concert with Dr. McKinley, local leaders, busi19 nesses and nonprofit groups petitioned the Federal 

20 Government for a free-standing Veterans Affairs 

21 Medical Center (VAMC). 

22 (7) Congress authorized 91 new rural VAMCs, 

23 among them the Prescott Vet Center. In June of 

24 1985, the Prescott Vet Center opened. 


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1 (8) Dr. McKinley spent decades confronting the 

2 pressing issue of PTSD by providing cutting-edge 

3 psychological and neuropsychological assessments to 

4 the returning veterans of three wars. He produced 

5 targeted action plans for veterans suffering from 

6 PTSD, giving them tools to deal with their afflic7 tions and transition successfully back into civilian 

8 life. 

9 (9) Dr. McKinley’s cutting-edge work has 

10 earned him recognition from Prescott VAMC, Viet11 nam Veterans of America, the Veterans’ Readjust12 ment Counseling Center, and the Department of the 

13 Army for his outstanding work to improve the lives 

14 of veterans of multiple generations. 

15 (10) It is only well and fitting that as a tribute 

16 to this remarkable person’s life that Congress seek 

17 to name the facility after the leader who was its in18 spiration and a lifesaver for so many. 

19 SEC. 2. DR. CAMERON MCKINLEY DEPARTMENT OF VET20 ERANS AFFAIRS VETERANS CENTER. 

21 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Department of Veterans Af22 fairs Vet Center located at 3180 Stillwater Dr. #A, Pres23 cott, Arizona, shall after the date of the enactment of this 

24 Act be known and designated as the ‘‘Dr. Cameron 


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1 McKinley Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Cen2 ter’’. 

3 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg4 ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 

5 States to the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center 

6 referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a ref7 erence to the ‘‘Dr. Cameron McKinley Department of Vet8 erans Affairs Veterans Center’’. 

Æ 


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