I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5385 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to establish a toll-free hotline to assist mental health professionals 

at institutions of higher learning, to provide training to mental health 

professionals at institutions of higher learning, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2010 

Mr. CARNEY (for himself and Mr. KIRK) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a toll-free hotline 

to assist mental health professionals at institutions of 

higher learning, to provide training to mental health 

professionals at institutions of higher learning, 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 ‘‘Student Veteran Coun5 seling Improvement Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COUNSELING FOR STUDENT VETERANS WITH MEN2 TAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 36 of title 38, United 

4 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing new section: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 3697B. ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING FOR MENTAL AND 

7 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. 

8 ‘‘(a) HOTLINE FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFES9 SIONALS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—(1) 

10 Subject to the availability of appropriations for such pur11 pose, the Secretary shall establish a toll-free telephone 

12 number to provide mental and behavioral health profes13 sionals with the information described in paragraph (2). 

14 ‘‘(2) The information described in this paragraph is 

15 information related to the treatment and counseling of a 

16 veteran reporting or exhibiting symptoms of— 

17 ‘‘(A) post-traumatic stress disorder; 

18 ‘‘(B) traumatic brain injury; 

19 ‘‘(C) anxiety; 

20 ‘‘(D) depression; 

21 ‘‘(E) sexual assault; 

22 ‘‘(F) sexual trauma; 

23 ‘‘(G) readjustment disorder; or 

24 ‘‘(H) other service-connected mental health con25 ditions. 


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1 ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall ensure that a licensed men2 tal health counselor employed by the Department of Vet3 erans Affairs operates the hotline and provides the infor4 mation described in paragraph (2). 

5 ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall ensure that the hotline is 

6 operational during business hours each weekday (other 

7 than Saturdays and Federal holidays). 

8 ‘‘(5) In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary 

9 shall— 

10 ‘‘(A) notify each institution of higher learning 

11 of the hotline by mail; and 

12 ‘‘(B) provide information regarding the hotline 

13 on the Internet website of the Department of Vet14 erans Affairs. 

15 ‘‘(b) TRAINING MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

16 PROFESSIONALS.—(1) Subject to the availability of appro17 priations for such purpose, the Secretary of Veterans Af18 fairs shall provide mental and behavioral health profes19 sionals at each institution of higher learning with training 

20 on the information described in paragraph (2) of sub21 section (a). 

22 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the training 

23 under paragraph (1)— 


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1 ‘‘(A) is provided by a licensed psychiatrist, li2 censed psychologist, or licensed counselor employed 

3 by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and 

4 ‘‘(B) is provided to mental and behavioral 

5 health professionals at least once every two years. 

6 ‘‘(3) The Secretary may not pay a reporting fee under 

7 section 3684(c) of this title to an institution of higher 

8 learning with at least 100 veterans enrolled at such insti9 tution unless a mental and behavioral health professional 

10 of such institution receives training provided by the Sec11 retary under paragraph (1). 

12 ‘‘(c) BIENNIAL REPORTS.—Not later than October 1 

13 of each even-numbered year, the Secretary of Veterans Af14 fairs shall submit to Congress a report on mental and be15 havioral health professionals. Each such report shall in16 clude the following: 

17 ‘‘(1) The number of institutions of higher learn18 ing that employ a mental and behavioral health pro19 fessional who has received training under subsection 

20 (b). 

21 ‘‘(2) The number of veterans who have died by 

22 suicide while enrolled in an institution of higher 

23 learning. 

24 ‘‘(3) The number of calls received by the hot25 line. 


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1 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 ‘‘(1) The term ‘mental and behavioral health 

3 professional’ means a licensed psychiatrist, licensed 

4 psychologist, or licenced counselor employed by an 

5 institution of higher learning. 

6 ‘‘(2) The term ‘institution of higher learning’ 

7 has the meaning given that term in section 3452(f) 

8 of this title. 

9 ‘‘(3) The term ‘hotline’ means the toll-free tele10 phone number established under subsection (a).’’. 

11 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (c) of 

12 section 3684 of such title is amended by striking ‘‘The 

13 Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to section 3697B(b)(3) 

14 of this title, the Secretary’’. 

15 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

16 at the beginning of chapter 36 of title 38, United States 

17 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘3697B. Assistance and training for mental and behavioral health professionals.’’. 

18 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 3697B of title 38, 

19 United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take 

20 effect on the date that is one year after the date of the 

21 enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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