I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6411 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 

the mental health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 18, 2022 

Mr. TAKANO (for himself and Mr. BOST) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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

improvements in the mental health care provided by the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Support The Resiliency of Our Nation’s Great Veterans 

6 Act of 2022’’ or the ‘‘STRONG Veterans Act of 2022’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 


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TITLE I—TRAINING TO SUPPORT VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH 

Sec. 101. Mental health and suicide prevention outreach to minority veterans 

and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. 

Sec. 102. Expansion of Vet Center workforce. 

Sec. 103. Expansion of mental health training for Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Sec. 104. Expansion of scholarships and loan repayment programs for mental 

health providers. 

TITLE II—VETERANS CRISIS LINE 

Sec. 201. Veterans Crisis Line. 

Subtitle A—Veterans Crisis Line Training and Quality Management 

Sec. 211. Staff training. 

Sec. 212. Quality review and management. 

Sec. 213. Guidance for high-risk callers. 

Sec. 214. Oversight of training of social service assistants and clarification of 

job responsibilities. 

Subtitle B—Pilot Programs and Research on Veterans Crisis Line 

Sec. 221. Pilot programs. 

Sec. 222. Authorization of appropriations for research on effectiveness and opportunities for improvement of Veterans Crisis Line. 

Subtitle C—Transition of Crisis Line Number 

Sec. 231. Feedback on transition of crisis line number. 

TITLE III—OUTREACH TO VETERANS 

Sec. 301. Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Sec. 302. Designation of Buddy Check Week by Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

Sec. 303. Improvements to Veterans Justice Outreach Program. 

Sec. 304. Department of Veterans Affairs Governors Challenge Program. 

TITLE IV—MENTAL HEALTH CARE DELIVERY 

Sec. 401. Expansion of peer specialist support program of Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Sec. 402. Expansion of Vet Center services. 

Sec. 403. Eligibility for mental health services. 

Sec. 404. Mental health consultations. 

TITLE V—RESEARCH 

Sec. 501. Veterans integration to academic leadership program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Sec. 502. Improvement of sleep disorder care furnished by Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Sec. 503. Study on inpatient mental health and substance use care from Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Sec. 504. Study on treatment from Department of Veterans Affairs for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. 

Sec. 505. Study on workload of suicide prevention teams of Department of Veterans Affairs. 


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Sec. 506. Expansion of suicide prevention and mental health research. 

Sec. 507. Study on mental health and suicide prevention support for military 

families. 

Sec. 508. Research on brain health. 

Sec. 509. Study on efficacy of clinical and at-home resources for post-traumatic 

stress disorder. 

1 TITLE I—TRAINING TO SUPPORT 

2 VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH 

3 SEC. 101. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION 

4 OUTREACH TO MINORITY VETERANS AND 

5 AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE VET6 ERANS. 

7 (a) STAFFING REQUIREMENT.—Beginning not later 

8 than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

9 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each 

10 medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs has 

11 no fewer than one full-time employee whose responsibility 

12 is serving as a minority veteran coordinator. 

13 (b) TRAINING.—Not later than 180 days after the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in con15 sultation with the Indian Health Service and the Director 

16 of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of 

17 the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall ensure that all 

18 minority veteran coordinators receive training in delivery 

19 of culturally appropriate mental health and suicide preven20 tion services to American Indian and Alaska Native vet21 erans, especially with respect to the identified populations 

22 and tribes within the coordinators’ catchment areas. 


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1 (c) COORDINATION WITH SUICIDE PREVENTION CO2 ORDINATORS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 

3 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation 

4 with the Director of the Office of Mental Health and Sui5 cide Prevention, shall ensure that the suicide prevention 

6 coordinator and minority veteran coordinator of each med7 ical center of the Department have developed and dissemi8 nated to the director of the medical center a written plan 

9 for conducting mental health and suicide prevention out10 reach to all tribes and urban Indian health organizations 

11 within the catchment area of the medical center. Each 

12 such plan shall include for each tribe covered by the 

13 plan— 

14 (1) contact information for tribal leadership 

15 and the tribal health facility or Indian Health Serv16 ice facility serving that tribe; 

17 (2) a schedule for and list of outreach plans 

18 (including addressing any barriers to accessing De19 partment mental health care); 

20 (3) documentation of any conversation with 

21 tribal leaders that may guide culturally appropriate 

22 delivery of mental health care to American Indian or 

23 Alaska Native veterans; 

24 (4) documentation of any progress in incor25 porating traditional healing practices into mental 


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1 health and suicide prevention protocols and options 

2 available for veterans who are members of such 

3 tribe; and 

4 (5) documentation of any coordination among 

5 the Department, the Indian Health Service, urban 

6 Indian health organizations, and the Substance 

7 Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

8 for the purpose of improving suicide prevention ef9 forts tailored to veterans who are members of such 

10 tribe and the provision of culturally competent men11 tal health care to such veterans. 

12 (d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the en13 actment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 

14 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

15 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep16 resentatives a report on outreach efforts to minority vet17 erans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. 

18 Such report shall include each of the following: 

19 (1) The number of minority veteran coordina20 tors within the Department. 

21 (2) The number and percentage of minority vet22 eran coordinators who are women. 

23 (3) The number and percentage of minority vet24 eran coordinators who are persons of color. 


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1 (4) The number and percentage of Department 

2 medical centers with minority veteran coordinators. 

3 (5) The number and percentage of Department 

4 mental health providers who are enrolled members of 

5 a federally recognized Indian tribe or self-identify as 

6 Native American. 

7 (6) The number and percentage of Department 

8 mental health providers who speak a second lan9 guage. 

10 (7) A review of the outreach plans developed 

11 and submitted to all Department medical centers for 

12 outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native vet13 erans. 

14 (8) A review of mental health care provided an15 nually by the Department to American Indian and 

16 Alaska Native veterans for the past three years, in17 cluding number of appointments, and an assessment 

18 of any barriers to providing this care. 

19 SEC. 102. EXPANSION OF VET CENTER WORKFORCE. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

21 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet22 erans Affairs shall hire an additional 100 full-time equiva23 lent employees for Vet Centers to bolster the workforce 

24 of Vet Centers and to provide expanded mental health care 

25 to veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and their famVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:35 Jan 20, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6411.IH H6411

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1 ilies through outreach, community access points, 

2 outstations, and Vet Centers. 

3 (b) VET CENTER DEFINED.—In this section, the 

4 term ‘‘Vet Center’’ has the meaning given that term in 

5 section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States Code. 

6 SEC. 103. EXPANSION OF MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR 

7 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than three years after 

9 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

10 Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Men11 tal Health and Suicide Prevention and the Office of Aca12 demic Affiliations, shall add an additional 500 paid trainee 

13 slots in covered mental health disciplines to the workforce 

14 of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

15 (b) COVERED MENTAL HEALTH DISCIPLINES DE16 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘covered mental health 

17 disciplines’’ means psychiatry, psychology, advanced prac18 tice nursing (with a focus on mental health or substance 

19 use disorder), social work, licensed professional mental 

20 health counseling, and marriage and family therapy. 

21 SEC. 104. EXPANSION OF SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOAN REPAY22 MENT PROGRAMS FOR MENTAL HEALTH PRO23 VIDERS. 

24 (a) EXPANSION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SCHOL25 ARSHIP PROGRAM.—Beginning in academic year 2022, 


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1 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall include not fewer 

2 than an additional (as compared to academic year 2021) 

3 50 awards per academic year under the Department of 

4 Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Pro5 gram under subchapter II of chapter 76 of title 38, United 

6 States Code, for applicants otherwise eligible for such pro7 gram who are pursuing degrees or training in mental 

8 health disciplines, including advanced practice nursing 

9 (with a focus on mental health or substance use disorder), 

10 psychology, and social work. 

11 (b) EXPANSION OF EDUCATION DEBT REDUCTION

12 PROGRAM.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning in fiscal year 

14 2022, the Secretary shall provide not fewer than an 

15 additional (as compared to fiscal year 2021) 200 

16 debt reduction awards per year under the Depart17 ment of Veterans Affairs Education Debt Reduction 

18 Program under subchapter VII of chapter 76 of title 

19 38, United States Code, to be used to recruit mental 

20 health professionals to the Department of Veterans 

21 Affairs in disciplines that include psychiatry, psy22 chology, advanced practice nursing (with a focus on 

23 mental health or substance use disorder), and social 

24 work. 


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1 (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec3 retary of Veterans Affairs $8,000,000 per year to 

4 carry out the additional awards under paragraph 

5 (1). 

6 (c) OUTREACH.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

8 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec9 retary shall develop a public awareness campaign to 

10 encourage veterans and mental health professionals 

11 to choose the Department for their mental health ca12 reer. 

13 (2) ELEMENTS.—The campaign required under 

14 paragraph (1)— 

15 (A) shall advertise the paid trainee, schol16 arship, and loan repayment opportunities of17 fered by the Department; and 

18 (B) may highlight the new graduate med19 ical education residencies available at the De20 partment for medical students entering resi21 dency. 


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1 TITLE II—VETERANS CRISIS 

2 LINE 

3 SEC. 201. VETERANS CRISIS LINE. 

4 In this title, the term ‘‘Veterans Crisis Line’’ means 

5 the toll-free hotline for veterans established under section 

6 1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code. 

7 Subtitle A—Veterans Crisis Line 

8 Training and Quality Management 

9 SEC. 211. STAFF TRAINING. 

10 (a) REVIEW OF TRAINING FOR VETERANS CRISIS

11 LINE CALL RESPONDERS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

13 Affairs shall enter into an agreement with an orga14 nization outside the Department of Veterans Affairs 

15 to review the training for Veterans Crisis Line call 

16 responders on assisting callers in crisis. 

17 (2) COMPLETION OF REVIEW.—The review con18 ducted under paragraph (1) shall be completed not 

19 later than one year after the date of the enactment 

20 of this Act. 

21 (3) ELEMENTS OF REVIEW.—The review con22 ducted under paragraph (1) shall consist of a review 

23 of the training provided by the Department on sub24 jects including risk assessment, lethal means assess25 ment, substance use and overdose risk assessment, 


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1 safety planning, referrals to care, supervisory con2 sultation, and emergency dispatch. 

3 (4) UPDATE OF TRAINING.—If any deficiencies 

4 in the training for Veterans Crisis Line call respond5 ers are found pursuant to the review under para6 graph (1), the Secretary shall update such training 

7 and associated standards of practice to correct those 

8 deficiencies not later than one year after the comple9 tion of the review. 

10 (b) RETRAINING GUIDELINES FOR VETERANS CRISIS

11 LINE CALL RESPONDERS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec14 retary shall develop guidelines on retraining and 

15 quality management for when a Veterans Crisis Line 

16 call responder has an adverse event or when a qual17 ity review check by a supervisor of such a call re18 sponder denotes that the call responder needs im19 provement. 

20 (2) ELEMENTS OF GUIDELINES.—The guide21 lines developed under paragraph (1) shall specify the 

22 subjects and quantity of retraining recommended 

23 and how supervisors should implement increased use 

24 of silent monitoring or other performance review 

25 mechanisms. 


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1 SEC. 212. QUALITY REVIEW AND MANAGEMENT. 

2 (a) MONITORING OF CALLS ON VETERANS CRISIS

3 LINE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

5 Affairs shall require that not fewer than two calls 

6 per month for each Veterans Crisis Line call re7 sponder be subject to supervisory silent monitoring, 

8 which is used to monitor the quality of conduct by 

9 such call responder during the call. 

10 (2) BENCHMARKS.—The Secretary shall estab11 lish benchmarks for requirements and performance 

12 of Veterans Crisis Line call responders on super13 visory silent monitored calls. 

14 (3) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—Not less frequently 

15 than quarterly, the Secretary shall submit to the Of16 fice of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the 

17 Department of Veterans Affairs a report on occur18 rence and outcomes of supervisory silent monitoring 

19 of calls on the Veterans Crisis Line. 

20 (b) QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROCESSES FOR VET21 ERANS CRISIS LINE.—Not later than one year after the 

22 date of the enactment of this Act, the leadership for the 

23 Veterans Crisis Line, in partnership with the Office of 

24 Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the Department 

25 and the National Center for Patient Safety of the Depart26 ment, shall establish quality management processes and 


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1 expectations for staff of the Veterans Crisis Line, includ2 ing with respect to reporting of adverse events and close 

3 calls. 

4 (c) ANNUAL COMMON CAUSE ANALYSIS FOR CALL5 ERS TO VETERANS CRISIS LINE WHO DIE BY SUICIDE.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than an7 nually, the Secretary shall perform a common cause 

8 analysis for all identified callers to the Veterans Cri9 sis Line that died by suicide during the one-year pe10 riod preceding the conduct of the analysis before the 

11 caller received contact with emergency services and 

12 in which the Veterans Crisis Line was the last point 

13 of contact. 

14 (2) SUBMITTAL OF RESULTS.—The Secretary 

15 shall submit to the Office of Mental Health and Sui16 cide Prevention of the Department the results of 

17 each analysis conducted under paragraph (1). 

18 (3) APPLICATION OF THEMES OR LESSONS.— 

19 The Secretary shall apply any themes or lessons 

20 learned under an analysis under paragraph (1) to 

21 updating training and standards of practice for staff 

22 of the Veterans Crisis Line. 

23 SEC. 213. GUIDANCE FOR HIGH-RISK CALLERS. 

24 (a) DEVELOPMENT OF ENHANCED GUIDANCE AND

25 PROCEDURES FOR RESPONSE TO CALLS RELATED TO


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1 SUBSTANCE USE AND OVERDOSE RISK.—Not later than 

2 one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

3 Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with na4 tional experts within the Department of Veterans Affairs 

5 on substance use disorder and overdose, shall— 

6 (1) develop enhanced guidance and procedures 

7 to respond to calls to the Veterans Crisis Line re8 lated to substance use and overdose risk; 

9 (2) update training materials for staff of the 

10 Veterans Crisis Line in response to such enhanced 

11 guidance and procedures; and 

12 (3) update criteria for monitoring compliance 

13 with such enhanced guidance and procedures. 

14 (b) REVIEW AND IMPROVEMENT OF STANDARDS FOR

15 EMERGENCY DISPATCH.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

17 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec18 retary shall— 

19 (A) review the current emergency dispatch 

20 standard operating procedure of the Veterans 

21 Crisis Line to identify any additions to such 

22 procedure to strengthen communication regard23 ing— 

24 (i) emergency dispatch for discon25 nected callers; and 


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1 (ii) the role of social service assistants 

2 in requesting emergency dispatch and re3 cording such dispatches; and 

4 (B) update such procedure to include the 

5 additions identified under subparagraph (A). 

6 (2) TRAINING.—The Secretary shall ensure 

7 that all staff of the Veterans Crisis Line are trained 

8 on all updates made under paragraph (1)(B) to the 

9 emergency dispatch standard operating procedure of 

10 the Veterans Crisis Line. 

11 SEC. 214. OVERSIGHT OF TRAINING OF SOCIAL SERVICE AS12 SISTANTS AND CLARIFICATION OF JOB RE13 SPONSIBILITIES. 

14 Not later than one year after the date of the enact15 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 

16 (1) establish oversight mechanisms to ensure 

17 that social service assistants and supervisory social 

18 service assistants working with the Veterans Crisis 

19 Line are appropriately trained and implementing 

20 guidance of the Department regarding the Veterans 

21 Crisis Line; and 

22 (2) refine standard operating procedures to de23 lineate roles and responsibilities for all levels of su24 pervisory social service assistants working with the 

25 Veterans Crisis Line. 


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1 Subtitle B—Pilot Programs and 

2 Research on Veterans Crisis Line 

3 SEC. 221. PILOT PROGRAMS. 

4 (a) EXTENDED SAFETY PLANNING PILOT PROGRAM

5 FOR VETERANS CRISIS LINE.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Commencing not later than 

7 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

8 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a 

9 pilot program to determine whether a lengthier, 

10 templated safety plan used in clinical settings could 

11 be applied in call centers for the Veterans Crisis 

12 Line. 

13 (2) BRIEFING.—Not later than two years after 

14 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

15 shall provide to Congress a briefing on the findings 

16 of the Secretary under the pilot program conducted 

17 under paragraph (1), which shall include any rec18 ommendations of the Secretary with respect to the 

19 continuation or discontinuation of the pilot program. 

20 (b) CRISIS LINE FACILITATION PILOT PROGRAM.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Commencing not later than 

22 one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

23 the Secretary shall carry out a pilot program on the 

24 use of crisis line facilitation to increase use of the 

25 Veterans Crisis Line among high-risk veterans. 


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1 (2) BRIEFING.—Not later than two years after 

2 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

3 shall provide to Congress a briefing on the findings 

4 of the Secretary under the pilot program under 

5 paragraph (1), including any recommendations of 

6 the Secretary with respect to the continuation or dis7 continuation of the pilot program. 

8 (3) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (A) The term ‘‘crisis line facilitation’’, with 

10 respect to a high-risk veteran, means the pres11 entation by a therapist of psychoeducational in12 formation about the Veterans Crisis Line and a 

13 discussion of the perceived barriers and 

14 facilitators to future use of the Veterans Crisis 

15 Line for the veteran, which culminates in the 

16 veteran calling the Veterans Crisis Line with 

17 the therapist to provide firsthand experiences 

18 that may counter negative impressions of the 

19 Veterans Crisis Line. 

20 (B) The term ‘‘high-risk veteran’’ means a 

21 veteran receiving inpatient mental health care 

22 following a suicidal crisis. 


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1 SEC. 222. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR RE2 SEARCH ON EFFECTIVENESS AND OPPORTU3 NITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF VETERANS 

4 CRISIS LINE. 

5 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec6 retary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, 

7 a total of $5,000,000 for the Mental Illness Research, 

8 Education, and Clinical Centers of the Department of Vet9 erans Affairs to conduct research on the effectiveness of 

10 the Veterans Crisis Line and areas for improvement for 

11 the Veterans Crisis Line. Amounts made available pursu12 ant to the authorization of appropriations under this sec13 tion shall remain available until September 30, 2024. 

14 Subtitle C—Transition of Crisis 

15 Line Number 

16 SEC. 231. FEEDBACK ON TRANSITION OF CRISIS LINE NUM17 BER. 

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

19 shall solicit feedback from veterans service organizations 

20 on how to conduct outreach to members of the Armed 

21 Forces, veterans, their family members, and other mem22 bers of the military and veterans community on the move 

23 to 988 as the new, national three-digit suicide and mental 

24 health crisis hotline, which is expected to be implemented 

25 by July 2022, to minimize confusion and ensure veterans 


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1 are aware of their options for reaching the Veterans Crisis 

2 Line. 

3 (b) NONAPPLICATION OF FACA.—The Federal Advi4 sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 

5 any feedback solicited under subsection (a). 

6 (c) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION DEFINED.— 

7 In this section, the term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ 

8 means an organization recognized by the Secretary for the 

9 representation of veterans under section 5902 of title 38, 

10 United States Code. 

11 TITLE III—OUTREACH TO 

12 VETERANS 

13 SEC. 301. SOLID START PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 

14 VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 63 of title 38, United 

16 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol17 lowing new subchapter: 

18 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—OTHER OUTREACH 

19 PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES 

20 ‘‘§ 6320. Solid Start program 

21 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 

22 program, to be known as the ‘Solid Start program’, under 

23 which the Secretary shall— 

24 ‘‘(1) build the capacity of the Department to ef25 ficiently and effectively respond to the queries and 


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1 needs of veterans who have recently separated from 

2 the Armed Forces; and 

3 ‘‘(2) systemically integrate and coordinate ef4 forts to assist veterans, including efforts— 

5 ‘‘(A) to proactively reach out to newly sep6 arated veterans to inform them of their eligi7 bility for programs of and benefits provided by 

8 the Department; and 

9 ‘‘(B) to connect veterans in crisis to re10 sources that address their immediate needs. 

11 ‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES OF THE SOLID START PROGRAM.— 

12 (1) The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of 

13 Defense, shall carry out the Solid Start program of the 

14 Department by— 

15 ‘‘(A) collecting up-to-date contact information 

16 during transition classes or separation counseling for 

17 all members of the Armed Forces who are sepa18 rating from the Armed Forces, while explaining the 

19 existence and purpose of the Solid Start program; 

20 ‘‘(B) calling each veteran, regardless of separa21 tion type or characterization of service, three times 

22 within the first year after separation of the veteran 

23 from the Armed Forces; 

24 ‘‘(C) providing information about the Solid 

25 Start program on the website of the Department 


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1 and in materials of the Department, especially tran2 sition booklets and other resources; 

3 ‘‘(D) ensuring calls are truly tailored to the 

4 needs of each veteran’s unique situation by con5 ducting quality assurance tests; 

6 ‘‘(E) prioritizing outreach to veterans who have 

7 accessed mental health resources prior to separation 

8 from the Armed Forces; 

9 ‘‘(F) providing women veterans with informa10 tion that is tailored to their specific health care and 

11 benefit needs; 

12 ‘‘(G) as feasible, providing information on ac13 cess to State and local resources, including Vet Cen14 ters and veterans service organizations; and 

15 ‘‘(H) gathering and analyzing data assessing 

16 the effectiveness of the Solid Start program. 

17 ‘‘(2) The Secretary, in coordination with the Sec18 retary of Defense, may carry out the Solid Start program 

19 by— 

20 ‘‘(A) encouraging members of the Armed 

21 Forces who are transitioning to civilian life to au22 thorize alternate points of contact who can be 

23 reached should the member be unavailable during 

24 the first year following the separation of the member 

25 from the Armed Forces; 


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1 ‘‘(B) following up missed phone calls with tai2 lored mailings to ensure the veteran still receives 

3 similar information; and 

4 ‘‘(C) striving to reach out to veterans who sepa5 rated prior to the initiation of the Solid Start pro6 gram to provide similar services to those veterans, as 

7 feasible. 

8 ‘‘(3) In this subsection: 

9 ‘‘(A) The term ‘Vet Center’ has the meaning 

10 given that term in section 1712A(h) of this title. 

11 ‘‘(B) The term ‘veterans service organization’ 

12 means an organization recognized by the Secretary 

13 for the representation of veterans under section 

14 5902 of this title. 

15 ‘‘(c) OBLIGATIONS OF AMOUNTS.—Subject to the 

16 availability of appropriations, the Secretary may not, in 

17 a fiscal year, obligate an amount to carry out the Solid 

18 Start program that is less than the total amount obligated 

19 in the previous fiscal year to carry out the program, unless 

20 the Secretary determines that increased efficiencies of the 

21 program warrant the obligation of a lesser amount.’’. 

22 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Chapter 63 of 

23 such title, as amended by subsection (a), is further amend24 ed— 


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1 (1) by inserting before section 6301 the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘Subchapter I—Outreach Services Program’’; 

4 and 

5 (2) in sections 6301, 6303, 6304, 6305, 6306, 

6 and 6307, by striking ‘‘this chapter’’ each place it 

7 appears and inserting ‘‘this subchapter’’. 

8 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The table of sections 

9 at the beginning of chapter 63 of such title is amended— 

10 (1) by inserting before the item relating to sec11 tion 6301 the following new item: 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER I—OUTREACH SERVICES PROGRAM’’; 

12 and 

13 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

14 items: 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER II—OTHER OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

‘‘6320. Solid Start program.’’. 

15 SEC. 302. DESIGNATION OF BUDDY CHECK WEEK BY SEC16 RETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

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

18 shall designate one week each year to organize outreach 

19 events and educate veterans on how to conduct peer 

20 wellness checks, which shall be known as ‘‘Buddy Check 

21 Week’’. 

22 (b) EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—During Buddy Check Week, 

2 the Secretary, in consultation with organizations 

3 that represent veterans, nonprofits that serve vet4 erans, mental health experts, members of the Armed 

5 Forces, and such other entities and individuals as 

6 the Secretary considers appropriate, shall collaborate 

7 with organizations that represent veterans to provide 

8 educational opportunities for veterans to learn how 

9 to conduct peer wellness checks. 

10 (2) TRAINING MATTERS.—As part of the edu11 cational opportunities provided under paragraph (1), 

12 the Secretary shall provide the following: 

13 (A) A script for veterans to use to conduct 

14 peer wellness checks that includes information 

15 on appropriate referrals to resources veterans 

16 might need. 

17 (B) Online and in-person training, as ap18 propriate, on how to conduct a peer wellness 

19 check. 

20 (C) Opportunities for members of organi21 zations that represent veterans to learn how to 

22 train individuals to conduct peer wellness 

23 checks. 


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1 (D) Training for veterans participating in 

2 Buddy Check Week on how to transfer a phone 

3 call directly to the Veterans Crisis Line. 

4 (E) Resiliency training for veterans partici5 pating in Buddy Check Week on handling a vet6 eran in crisis. 

7 (3) ONLINE MATERIALS.—All training materials 

8 provided under the educational opportunities under 

9 paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on a 

10 website of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

11 (c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary, in collaboration with 

12 organizations that represent veterans, may conduct out13 reach regarding educational opportunities under sub14 section (b) at— 

15 (1) public events where many veterans are ex16 pected to congregate; 

17 (2) meetings of organizations that represent 

18 veterans; 

19 (3) facilities of the Department; and 

20 (4) such other locations as the Secretary, in col21 laboration with organizations that represent vet22 erans, considers appropriate. 

23 (d) VETERANS CRISIS LINE PLAN.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall ensure 

25 that a plan exists for handling the potential increase 


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1 in the number of calls into the Veterans Crisis Line 

2 that may occur during Buddy Check Week. 

3 (2) SUBMITTAL OF PLAN.—The head of the 

4 Veterans Crisis Line shall submit to the Secretary a 

5 plan for how to handle excess calls during Buddy 

6 Check Week, which may include the following: 

7 (A) Additional hours for staff. 

8 (B) The use of a backup call center. 

9 (C) Any other plan to ensure that calls 

10 from veterans in crisis are being answered in a 

11 timely manner by an individual trained at the 

12 same level as a Veterans Crisis Line responder. 

13 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

14 (1) The term ‘‘organization that represents vet15 erans’’ means an organization recognized by the Sec16 retary for the representation of veterans under sec17 tion 5902 of title 38, United States Code. 

18 (2) The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 

19 that term in section 101 of such title. 

20 (3) The term ‘‘Veterans Crisis Line’’ means the 

21 toll-free hotline for veterans provided by the Sec22 retary under section 1720F(h) of such title. 


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1 SEC. 303. IMPROVEMENTS TO VETERANS JUSTICE OUT2 REACH PROGRAM. 

3 (a) OUTREACH REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of 

4 Veterans Affairs shall conduct outreach regarding the Vet5 erans Justice Outreach Program to justice-involved vet6 erans, military and veterans service organizations, and rel7 evant stakeholders in the criminal justice community, in8 cluding officials from local law enforcement, court, and jail 

9 systems and others as determined appropriate by the Sec10 retary. Such outreach— 

11 (1) shall be designed— 

12 (A) to spread awareness and under13 standing of the Program; 

14 (B) to spread awareness and under15 standing of veteran eligibility for the Program, 

16 including the eligibility of veterans who were 

17 discharged from service in the Armed Forces 

18 under conditions other than honorable; and 

19 (C) to improve the identification of justice20 involved veterans; and 

21 (2) may be conducted in person, virtually, or 

22 through other means, including by the dissemination 

23 of informational materials and contact information. 

24 (b) STRATEGIC PLAN.—The Secretary of Veterans 

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1 tice Outreach Program. In developing such plan, the Sec2 retary shall conduct— 

3 (1) an assessment of barriers to working with 

4 justice-involved veterans in rural, remote, and under5 served areas, including potential steps to address 

6 such barriers; and 

7 (2) a workforce gap analysis for the Program. 

8 (c) INCREASE IN NUMBER OF VJO SPECIALISTS.— 

9 (1) INCREASE.—The Secretary of Veterans Af10 fairs shall increase the number of Veterans Justice 

11 Outreach specialists responsible for supporting jus12 tice-involved veterans in rural, remote, or under13 served areas, including areas located far from De14 partment of Veterans Affairs medical centers, as de15 termined by the Secretary, through— 

16 (A) the hiring of additional Veterans Jus17 tice Outreach specialists; 

18 (B) the reallocation of existing Veterans 

19 Justice Outreach specialists; or 

20 (C) such other means as may be deter21 mined appropriate by the Secretary. 

22 (2) DETERMINATION.—The Secretary shall de23 termine the number of Veterans Justice Outreach 

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1 cialists, under paragraph (1) by taking into ac2 count— 

3 (A) such number and locations needed to 

4 achieve the mission and strategic goals of the 

5 Veterans Justice Outreach Program; 

6 (B) any gaps in the workforce of the Pro7 gram, including such gaps identified pursuant 

8 to subsection (b)(2); and 

9 (C) strategies to address such gaps. 

10 (3) USE OF TECHNOLOGY.—In carrying out 

11 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider the use 

12 of virtual technology. 

13 (d) PERFORMANCE GOALS AND IMPLEMENTATION

14 PLANS.— 

15 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Vet16 erans Affairs shall establish performance goals and 

17 implementation plans for— 

18 (A) the Veterans Justice Outreach Pro19 gram; 

20 (B) Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists; 

21 and 

22 (C) providing support for research regard23 ing justice-involved veterans. 

24 (2) CONSISTENCY WITH STRATEGIC PLAN.— 

25 The Secretary shall ensure that the performance 


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1 goals and implementation plans under paragraph (1) 

2 are consistent with the strategic plan under sub3 section (b) and include— 

4 (A) qualitative and quantitative milestones, 

5 measures, and metrics, and associated timelines 

6 for completion of the plans under paragraph (1) 

7 and barriers to such completion; 

8 (B) an identification of relevant staff; and 

9 (C) an estimate of resource needs and 

10 sources. 

11 (3) PERFORMANCE DATA.—The Secretary shall 

12 establish a process to regularly collect and analyze 

13 performance data to assess the efficiency and effec14 tiveness of implementing the plans under paragraph 

15 (1). 

16 (e) TRAINING REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall 

17 ensure that all Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists re18 ceive training not less frequently than annually on— 

19 (1) best practices for identifying and con20 ducting outreach to justice-involved veterans and rel21 evant stakeholders in the criminal justice commu22 nity; and 

23 (2) veteran eligibility for the Veterans Justice 

24 Outreach Program, including with respect to consist25 ently communicating changes regarding eligibility 


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1 (including through the use of a script or other ref2 erence materials). 

3 (f) REPORTS ON IMPLEMENTATION.— 

4 (1) FIRST REPORT.—Not later than one year 

5 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec6 retary shall submit to Congress a report on the fol7 lowing: 

8 (A) An assessment of implementing sub9 section (c), including— 

10 (i) strategies to increase Veterans 

11 Justice Outreach specialists responsible for 

12 supporting justice-involved veterans in 

13 rural, remote, or underserved areas; and 

14 (ii) the progress of the Secretary in 

15 addressing gaps in the workforce of the 

16 Veterans Justice Outreach Program identi17 fied pursuant to paragraph (2) of such 

18 subsection. 

19 (B) The performance goals and implemen20 tation plans established under subsection 

21 (d)(1). 

22 (2) SUBSEQUENT REPORT.—Not later than 

23 three years after the date on which the first report 

24 is submitted under paragraph (1), the Secretary 

25 shall submit to Congress a report on the progress of 


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1 the Secretary in meeting the performance goals and 

2 carrying out activities under the implementation 

3 plans established under subsection (d)(1). 

4 (g) REPORT ON VETERANS TREATMENT COURTS.— 

5 Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 

6 of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Attor7 ney General, shall submit to Congress a report on the en8 gagement of the Department of Veterans Affairs with vet9 erans treatment courts, including— 

10 (1) the availability and efficacy of veterans 

11 treatment courts in meeting the needs of justice-in12 volved veterans; 

13 (2) best practices for Department of Veterans 

14 Affairs staff and justice-involved veterans in working 

15 with veterans treatment courts; and 

16 (3) the ability of justice-involved veterans to ac17 cess veterans treatment courts, including any bar18 riers that exist to increasing such access. 

19 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

20 (1) The term ‘‘justice-involved veteran’’ means 

21 a veteran with active, ongoing, or recent contact 

22 with some component of a local criminal justice sys23 tem. 

24 (2) The term ‘‘Veterans Justice Outreach Pro25 gram’’ means the program through which the DeVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:35 Jan 20, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6411.IH H6411

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1 partment of Veterans Affairs identifies justice-in2 volved veterans and provides such veterans with ac3 cess to Department services. 

4 (3) The term ‘‘Veterans Justice Outreach Spe5 cialist’’ means an employee of the Department of 

6 Veterans Affairs who serves as a liaison between the 

7 Department and the local criminal justice system on 

8 behalf of a justice-involved veteran. 

9 (4) The term ‘‘veterans treatment court’’ means 

10 a State or local court that is participating in the vet11 erans treatment court program (as defined in section 

12 2991(i)(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

13 Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797aa(i)(1))). 

14 SEC. 304. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GOV15 ERNORS CHALLENGE PROGRAM. 

16 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may enter into 

17 agreements with States, territories, and American Indian 

18 and Alaska Native tribes for the development and imple19 mentation of veteran suicide prevention proposals through 

20 the Governors Challenge Program. 


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1 TITLE IV—MENTAL HEALTH 

2 CARE DELIVERY 

3 SEC. 401. EXPANSION OF PEER SPECIALIST SUPPORT PRO4 GRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF5 FAIRS. 

6 (a) EXPANSION.—Section 506 of the VA MISSION 

7 Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–182; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) 

8 is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) 

10 as subsections (e) through (g); 

11 (2) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

12 following new sentence: ‘‘Each such peer specialist 

13 shall be a full-time employee whose primary function 

14 is to serve as a peer specialist and shall be in addi15 tion to all other employees of such medical center.’’; 

16 (3) in the heading of subsection (b), by striking 

17 ‘‘TIMEFRAME’’ and inserting ‘‘INITIAL TIME18 FRAME’’; 

19 (4) in subsection (c)— 

20 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘SELEC21 TION’’ and inserting ‘‘INITIAL SELECTION’’; and 

22 (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 

23 Secretary shall’’ and inserting ‘‘In establishing 

24 the program at initial locations, the Secretary 

25 shall’’; 


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1 (5) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol2 lowing new subsection: 

3 ‘‘(d) TIMEFRAME FOR EXPANSION OF PROGRAM; SE4 LECTION OF ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS.— 

5 ‘‘(1) TIMEFRAME FOR EXPANSION.—The Sec6 retary shall make permanent and expand the pro7 gram to additional medical centers of the Depart8 ment as follows: 

9 ‘‘(A) As of the date of the enactment of 

10 the STRONG Veterans Act of 2021, the Sec11 retary shall make such program permanent at 

12 each medical center participating in the pro13 gram on the day before such date of enactment. 

14 ‘‘(B) During the seven-year period fol15 lowing such date of enactment, the Secretary 

16 shall expand the program to an additional 25 

17 medical centers per year until the program is 

18 carried out at each medical center of the De19 partment. 

20 ‘‘(2) SELECTION OF ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS.— 

21 In selecting medical centers for the expansion of the 

22 program under paragraph (1)(B), until such time as 

23 each medical center of the Department is partici24 pating in the program by establishing not fewer than 

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1 retary shall prioritize medical centers in the fol2 lowing areas: 

3 ‘‘(A) Rural areas and other areas that are 

4 underserved by the Department. 

5 ‘‘(B) Areas that are not in close proximity 

6 to an active duty military installation. 

7 ‘‘(C) Areas representing different geo8 graphic locations, such as census tracts estab9 lished by the Bureau of the Census.’’; 

10 (6) in subsection (e), as redesignated by para11 graph (1)— 

12 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘GENDER13 SPECIFIC SERVICES’’ and inserting ‘‘CONSIDER14 ATIONS FOR HIRING PEER SPECIALISTS’’; 

15 (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 

16 by striking ‘‘location selected under subsection 

17 (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘medical center’’; 

18 (C) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

19 the end; and 

20 (D) by striking paragraph (2) and insert21 ing the following new paragraphs: 

22 ‘‘(2) female peer specialists are hired and made 

23 available to support female veterans who are treated 

24 at each medical center; and 


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1 ‘‘(3) to the extent practical, peer specialists are 

2 hired in demographic percentages that reflect the ra3 cial and ethnic demographic percentages of the over4 all veterans population.’’; and 

5 (7) by amending subsection (g), as redesignated 

6 by paragraph (1), to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘(g) REPORTS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) PERIODIC REPORTS.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one 

10 year after the date of the enactment of the 

11 STRONG Veterans Act of 2021, and annually 

12 thereafter for five years, the Secretary shall 

13 submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs 

14 of the House of Representatives and the Senate 

15 a report on the program, including the expan16 sion of the program under subsection (d)(1). 

17 ‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—Each report under sub18 paragraph (A) shall include, with respect to the 

19 one-year period preceding the submission of the 

20 report, the following: 

21 ‘‘(i) The findings and conclusions of 

22 the Secretary with respect to the program. 

23 ‘‘(ii) An assessment of the benefits of 

24 the program to veterans and family mem25 bers of veterans. 


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1 ‘‘(iii) An assessment of the effective2 ness of peer specialists in engaging under 

3 subsection (f) with health care providers in 

4 the community and veterans served by 

5 such providers. 

6 ‘‘(iv) The name and location of each 

7 medical center where new peer specialists 

8 were hired. 

9 ‘‘(v) The number of new peer special10 ists hired at each medical center pursuant 

11 to this section and the total number of 

12 peer specialists within the Department 

13 hired pursuant to this section. 

14 ‘‘(vi) An assessment of any barriers 

15 confronting the recruitment, training, or 

16 retention of peer specialists. 

17 ‘‘(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 

18 after the Secretary determines that the program is 

19 being carried out at each medical center of the De20 partment, the Secretary shall submit to the Commit21 tees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Represent22 atives and the Senate a report notifying such com23 mittees of such determination.’’. 

24 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

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1 erans Affairs to implement section 506 of the VA MIS2 SION Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–182; 38 U.S.C. 1701 

3 note), as amended by subsection (a), the following 

4 amounts: 

5 (1) $3,600,000 for fiscal year 2022. 

6 (2) $7,200,000 for fiscal year 2023. 

7 (3) $10,800,000 for fiscal year 2024. 

8 (4) $14,400,000 for fiscal year 2025. 

9 (5) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2026. 

10 (6) $21,600,000 for fiscal year 2027. 

11 (7) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2028. 

12 SEC. 402. EXPANSION OF VET CENTER SERVICES. 

13 (a) VETERANS AND MEMBERS USING EDUCATIONAL

14 ASSISTANCE BENEFITS.—Section 1712A of title 38, 

15 United States Code, is amended— 

16 (1) by striking ‘‘clauses (i) through (vi)’’ both 

17 places it appears and inserting ‘‘clauses (i) through 

18 (vii)’’; 

19 (2) by striking ‘‘in clause (vii)’’ both places it 

20 appears and inserting ‘‘in clause (viii)’’; 

21 (3) in subsection (a)(1)(C)— 

22 (A) by redesignating clause (vii) as clause 

23 (viii); and 

24 (B) by inserting after clause (vi) the fol25 lowing new clause: 


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1 ‘‘(vii) Any veteran or member of the Armed 

2 Forces pursuing a course of education using covered 

3 educational assistance benefits.’’; and 

4 (4) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the 

5 following new paragraph: 

6 ‘‘(6) The term ‘covered educational assistance 

7 benefits’ means educational assistance benefits pro8 vided pursuant to— 

9 ‘‘(A) chapter 30, 31, 32, or 33 of this title; 

10 ‘‘(B) chapter 1606 or 1607 of title 10; 

11 ‘‘(C) section 116 of the Harry W. Colmery 

12 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 

13 (Public Law 115–48; 38 U.S.C. 3001 note); or 

14 ‘‘(D) section 8006 of the American Rescue 

15 Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117–2; 38 

16 U.S.C. 3001 note prec.).’’. 

17 (b) GAO REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 

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

19 of the United States shall submit to the Committees on 

20 Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 

21 Senate a report assessing— 

22 (1) the mental health needs of veterans pur23 suing a course of education using covered edu24 cational assistance benefits (as defined in section 


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1 1712A(h)(6) of title 38, United States Code, as 

2 added by subsection (a)); and 

3 (2) the efforts of the Department of Veterans 

4 Affairs to address such mental health needs. 

5 SEC. 403. ELIGIBILITY FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1712A(a)(1) of title 38, 

7 United States Code, as amended by section 402, is further 

8 amended— 

9 (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii)— 

10 (A) in subclause (I), by striking ‘‘and’’; 

11 (B) in subclause (II), by striking the pe12 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

13 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(III) in the case of a veteran or member 

15 who died by suicide, to the degree that coun16 seling furnished to such individual is found to 

17 aid in coping with the effects of such suicide.’’; 

18 (2) in subparagraph (B)(i)(II)— 

19 (A) in item (aa), by striking ‘‘or’’; 

20 (B) in item (bb), by striking the period at 

21 the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

22 (C) by adding at the end the following; 

23 ‘‘(cc) coping with the effects of a sui24 cide described in subclause (III) of such 

25 clause.’’; and 


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1 (3) in subparagraph (C)(vii)— 

2 (A) in subclause (I), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 

3 the end; 

4 (B) in subclause (II), by striking the pe5 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

6 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(III) veteran or member of the Armed 

8 Forces who died by suicide.’’. 

9 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

10 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to family members 

11 of a member or veteran who died by suicide before, on, 

12 or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

13 SEC. 404. MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATIONS. 

14 (a) MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATIONS FOR VET15 ERANS FILING FOR COMPENSATION.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VI of chapter 11 

17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add18 ing at the end the following new section: 

19 ‘‘§ 1167. Mental health consultations 

20 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

21 date on which a veteran submits to the Secretary a claim 

22 for compensation under this chapter for a service-con23 nected disability relating to a mental health diagnosis, the 

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1 tion to assess the mental health needs of, and care options 

2 for, the veteran. 

3 ‘‘(b) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall— 

4 ‘‘(1) offer a veteran a consultation under sub5 section (a) without regard to any previous denial or 

6 approval of a claim of that veteran for a service-con7 nected disability relating to a mental health diag8 nosis; and 

9 ‘‘(2) ensure that a veteran offered a mental 

10 health consultation under subsection (a) may elect to 

11 receive such consultation during the one-year period 

12 beginning on the date on which the consultation is 

13 offered or during such longer period beginning on 

14 such date as the Secretary considers appropriate. 

15 ‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—A consultation pro16 vided to a veteran under this section shall not be construed 

17 as a determination that any disability of such veteran is 

18 service-connected for the purposes of any benefit under the 

19 laws administered by the Secretary.’’. 

20 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec21 tions at the beginning of chapter 11 of such title is 

22 amended by adding at the end the following new 

23 item: 

‘‘1167. Mental health consultations.’’. 


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1 (b) MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATIONS FOR VET2 ERANS ENTERING HOMELESS PROGRAMS OFFICE PRO3 GRAMS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VII of chapter 

5 20 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 

6 adding at the end the following new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 2068. Mental health consultations 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two weeks after 

9 the date on which a veteran described in subsection (b) 

10 enters into a program administered by the Homeless Pro11 grams Office of the Department, the Secretary shall offer 

12 the veteran a mental health consultation to assess the 

13 health needs of, and care options for, the veteran. 

14 ‘‘(b) VETERAN DESCRIBED.—A veteran described in 

15 this subsection is a veteran to whom a mental health con16 sultation is not offered or provided through the case man17 agement services of the program of the Homeless Pro18 grams Office into which the veteran enters.’’. 

19 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec20 tions at the beginning of chapter 20 of such title is 

21 amended by adding at the end the following new 

22 item: 

‘‘2068. Mental health consultations.’’. 


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1 TITLE V—RESEARCH 

2 SEC. 501. VETERANS INTEGRATION TO ACADEMIC LEADER3 SHIP PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 

4 VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

5 (a) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 

6 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 

7 Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af8 fairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 

9 report on the Veterans Integration to Academic Leader10 ship program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The 

11 report shall include the following: 

12 (1) The number of medical centers of the De13 partment, institutions of higher learning, non-college 

14 degree programs, and student veterans supported by 

15 the program, and relevant trends since the program 

16 began. 

17 (2) The staff and resources allocated to the 

18 program, and relevant trends since the program 

19 began. 

20 (3) An assessment of the outcomes and effec21 tiveness of the program in— 

22 (A) supporting student veterans; 

23 (B) connecting student veterans to needed 

24 services of the Department or services provided 

25 by non-Department entities; 


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1 (C) addressing the mental health needs of 

2 student veterans; 

3 (D) lowering the suicide risk of student 

4 veterans; and 

5 (E) helping student veterans achieve edu6 cational goals. 

7 (4) An assessment of barriers to expanding the 

8 program and how the Secretary intends to address 

9 such barriers. 

10 (5) An assessment of whether the program 

11 should be expanded outside of the Office of Mental 

12 Health and Suicide Prevention to support students 

13 veterans with needs unrelated to mental health or 

14 suicide. 

15 (b) UNIFORM BEST PRACTICES, GOALS, AND MEAS16 URES.—The Secretary shall establish best practices, goals, 

17 and measures for the Veterans Integration to Academic 

18 Leadership program of the Department that are uniform 

19 among the medical centers of the Department. 

20 (c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall conduct out21 reach among the Armed Forces, veterans service organiza22 tions, institutions of higher learning, and non-college de23 gree programs with respect to the Veterans Integration 

24 to Academic Leadership program of the Department. 


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1 (d) ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary shall assess the 

2 feasibility and advisability of including the suicide rate for 

3 student veterans in the National Veteran Suicide Preven4 tion Annual Report of the Office of Mental Health and 

5 Suicide Prevention of the Department. 

6 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) The term ‘‘institution of higher learning’’ 

8 has the meaning given that term in section 3452 of 

9 title 38, United States Code. 

10 (2) The term ‘‘student veteran’’ means the fol11 lowing: 

12 (A) A veteran or member of the Armed 

13 Forces using educational assistance under any 

14 of the following provisions of law: 

15 (i) Chapter 30, 31, 32, or 33 of title 

16 38, United States Code, or chapter 1606 

17 or 1607 of title 10, United States Code. 

18 (ii) Section 116 of the Harry W. 

19 Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance 

20 Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48; 38 

21 U.S.C. 3001 note). 

22 (iii) Section 8006 of the American 

23 Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 

24 117–2; 38 U.S.C. 3001 note prec.). 


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1 (B) A veteran who is enrolled in an institu2 tion of higher learning or other training pro3 gram, without regard to whether the veteran is 

4 using educational assistance specified in sub5 paragraph (A). 

6 SEC. 502. IMPROVEMENT OF SLEEP DISORDER CARE FUR7 NISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF8 FAIRS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Pursuant to the analysis con10 ducted under subsection (b), the Secretary of Veterans Af11 fairs shall take such action as the Secretary considers ap12 propriate to improve the assessment and treatment of vet13 erans with sleep disorders, including by conducting in14 home sleep studies for veterans. 

15 (b) ANALYSIS.—The Secretary shall conduct an anal16 ysis of the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

17 to treat sleep disorders among veterans, including— 

18 (1) assessment and treatment options for such 

19 disorders; 

20 (2) barriers to care for such disorders, such as 

21 wait time, travel time, and lack of staffing; 

22 (3) the efficacy of the clinical practice guide23 lines of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the 

24 Department of Defense for such disorders; and 


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1 (4) the availability of and efficacy of the use by 

2 the Department of Veterans Affairs of cognitive be3 havioral therapy for insomnia. 

4 (c) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 

5 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

6 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

7 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep8 resentatives a report on— 

9 (1) the findings from the analysis conducted 

10 under subsection (b); and 

11 (2) any actions taken under subsection (a) to 

12 improve the assessment and treatment of veterans 

13 with sleep disorders. 

14 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR IN15 HOME SLEEP STUDIES.—There is authorized to be appro16 priated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs $5,000,000 

17 to be used to conduct in-home sleep studies for veterans, 

18 as part of sleep disorder assessment and treatment con19 ducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

20 SEC. 503. STUDY ON INPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUB21 STANCE USE CARE FROM DEPARTMENT OF 

22 VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

24 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet25 erans Affairs shall complete the conduct of a study on acVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:32 Jan 21, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6411.IH H6411

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1 cess of veterans to care under the residential rehabilitation 

2 treatment programs of the Department of Veterans Af3 fairs to determine— 

4 (1) if there are sufficient geographic offerings 

5 of inpatient mental health care, especially for vet6 erans in rural and remote communities; 

7 (2) if there are sufficient bed spaces at each lo8 cation, based on demand and drive time from the 

9 homes of veterans; 

10 (3) if there are any workforce-related capacity 

11 limitations at each location, including if beds are un12 able to be used because there are not enough pro13 viders to care for additional patients; 

14 (4) if there are diagnosis-specific or sex-specific 

15 barriers to accessing care under such programs; and 

16 (5) the average wait time for a bed in such a 

17 program, broken out by— 

18 (A) Veterans Integrated Service Network; 

19 (B) rural or urban area; 

20 (C) sex; and 

21 (D) specialty (general program, substance 

22 use disorder program, military sexual trauma 

23 program, etc.). 

24 (b) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MODIFICATIONS TO

25 TREATMENT PROGRAMS.—Using the results from the 


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1 study conducted under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

2 make recommendations for— 

3 (1) new locations for opening facilities to par4 ticipate in the residential rehabilitation treatment 

5 programs of the Department; 

6 (2) facilities under such programs at which new 

7 beds can be added; and 

8 (3) any additional specialty tracks to be added 

9 to such programs, such as substance use disorder or 

10 military sexual trauma, in order to meet veteran 

11 need and demand. 

12 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after comple13 tion of the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

14 submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen15 ate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 

16 of Representatives a report on the findings of the study 

17 conducted under subsection (a) and the recommendations 

18 made by the Secretary under subsection (b). 

19 SEC. 504. STUDY ON TREATMENT FROM DEPARTMENT OF 

20 VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR CO-OCCURRING 

21 MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DIS22 ORDERS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

24 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet25 erans Affairs shall conduct a study examining— 


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1 (1) the availability of treatment programs for 

2 veterans with co-occurring mental health and sub3 stance use disorders (including both inpatient and 

4 outpatient care); 

5 (2) any geographic disparities in access to such 

6 programs, such as for rural and remote veterans; 

7 and 

8 (3) the average wait times for care under such 

9 programs. 

10 (b) REPORT.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years 

12 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec13 retary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 

14 Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet15 erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a re16 port on the findings of the study conducted under 

17 subsection (a). 

18 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para19 graph (1) shall include— 

20 (A) any recommendations resulting from 

21 the study conducted under subsection (a) with 

22 respect to improving timeliness and quality of 

23 care and meeting treatment preferences for vet24 erans with co-occurring mental health and sub25 stance use disorders; and 


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1 (B) a description of any actions taken by 

2 the Secretary to improve care for such veterans. 

3 SEC. 505. STUDY ON WORKLOAD OF SUICIDE PREVENTION 

4 TEAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF5 FAIRS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af7 fairs, acting through the Under Secretary for Health and 

8 the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, shall 

9 conduct a study evaluating the workload of local suicide 

10 prevention teams of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

11 (b) ELEMENTS.—The study conducted under sub12 section (a) shall— 

13 (1) identify the effects of the growth of the sui14 cide prevention program of the Department on the 

15 workload of suicide prevention teams; 

16 (2) incorporate key practices for staffing model 

17 design in determining suicide prevention staffing 

18 needs; and 

19 (3) determine which facilities of the Depart20 ment need increased suicide prevention coordinator 

21 staffing to meet the needs of veterans, with an em22 phasis placed on facilities with high patient volume 

23 and facilities located in States with high rates of vet24 eran suicide. 


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1 (c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 

2 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

3 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

4 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep5 resentatives a report— 

6 (1) on the findings of the study conducted 

7 under subsection (a); and 

8 (2) indicating any changes made to the staffing 

9 of suicide prevention teams of the Department re10 sulting from the determinations made under sub11 section (b)(3), including a list of facilities of the De12 partment where staffing was adjusted. 

13 SEC. 506. EXPANSION OF SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MEN14 TAL HEALTH RESEARCH. 

15 (a) RESEARCH ON MORAL INJURY.—The Secretary 

16 of Veterans Affairs, acting through the Office of Research 

17 and Development of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 

18 shall conduct suicide prevention and mental health care 

19 improvement research on how moral injury relates to the 

20 mental health needs of veterans who served in the Armed 

21 Forces after September 11, 2001, and best practices for 

22 mental health treatment for such veterans. 

23 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

24 authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Vet25 erans Affairs an additional $10,000,000 to be used by the 


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1 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention of the Depart2 ment and the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research 

3 Education and Clinical Center for purposes of conducting 

4 research on the factors impacting veteran suicide and best 

5 practices for early intervention and support. 

6 SEC. 507. STUDY ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PRE7 VENTION SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af9 fairs, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, shall 

10 conduct a study on secondary post-traumatic stress dis11 order and depression and its impact on spouses, children, 

12 and caregivers of members of the Armed Forces. 

13 (b) REPORT.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than three years 

15 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec16 retary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the 

17 Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress, vet18 erans service organizations, and military support or19 ganizations a report on the findings of the study 

20 conducted under subsection (a). 

21 (2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

22 (A) The term ‘‘military support organiza23 tion’’ has the meaning given that term by the 

24 Secretary of Defense. 


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1 (B) The term ‘‘veterans service organiza2 tion’’ means an organization recognized by the 

3 Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the represen4 tation of veterans under section 5902 of title 

5 38, United States Code. 

6 SEC. 508. RESEARCH ON BRAIN HEALTH. 

7 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Depart8 ment of Veterans Affairs an additional $5,000,000 for on9 going and future research at the Translational Research 

10 Center of the Department of Veterans Affairs for trau11 matic brain injury and stress disorders to provide better 

12 understanding of, and improved treatment options for, 

13 veterans who served in the Armed Forces after September 

14 11, 2001, and who have traumatic brain injury or post15 traumatic stress disorder. 

16 SEC. 509. STUDY ON EFFICACY OF CLINICAL AND AT-HOME 

17 RESOURCES FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS 

18 DISORDER. 

19 Not later than two years after the date of the enact20 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting 

21 through the Office of Research and Development of the 

22 Department of Veterans Affairs, shall conduct a study 

23 on— 

24 (1) the efficacy of clinical and at-home re25 sources, such as mobile applications like COVID 


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1 Coach, for providers, veterans, caregivers, and fam2 ily members to use for dealing with stressors; 

3 (2) the feasibility and advisability of developing 

4 more such resources; 

5 (3) strategies for improving mental health care 

6 and outcomes for veterans with post-traumatic stress 

7 disorder; and 

8 (4) best practices for helping family members of 

9 veterans deal with secondary post-traumatic stress 

10 disorder or mental health concerns. 

Æ 


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