109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 716

AN ACT

To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance services

provided by vet centers, to clarify and improve the provision of bereavement counseling 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.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Vet Center Enhance5 ment Act of 2005’’.
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1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES OF VET CEN2 TERS.

3 (a) ADDITIONAL OUTREACH WORKERS.—The Sec4 retary of Veterans Affairs shall employ not more than 50

5 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation

6 Iraqi Freedom for the purpose of providing outreach to

7 veterans on the availability of readjustment counseling

8 and related mental health services for veterans under sec9 tion 1712A of title 38, United States Code.

10 (b) CONSTRUCTION WITH CURRENT OUTREACH

11 PROGRAM.—The veterans employed under subsection (a)

12 are in addition to any veterans employed by the Secretary

13 for the purpose described in that subsection under the

14 February 2004 program of the Department of Veterans

15 Affairs to provide outreach described in that subsection.

16 (c) ASSIGNMENT TO VET CENTERS.—The Secretary

17 may assign any veteran employed under subsection (a) to

18 any vet center that the Secretary considers appropriate

19 in order to meet the purpose described in that subsection.

20 (d) INAPPLICABILITY AND TERMINATION OF LIMITA21 TION ON DURATION OF EMPLOYMENT.—Any limitation on

22 the duration of employment of veterans under the program

23 described in subsection (b) is hereby terminated, and shall

24 not apply to veterans employed under such program or

25 under this section.
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1 (e) EMPLOYMENT STATUS.—Veterans employed

2 under subsection (a) shall be employed in career condi3 tional status, which is the employment status in which vet4 erans are employed under the program described in sub5 section (b).

6 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:

7 (1) VET CENTER.—The term ‘‘vet center’’

8 means a center for the provision of readjustment

9 counseling and related mental health services under

10 section 1712A of title 38, United States Code.

11 (2) VETERAN OF OPERATION ENDURING FREE12 DOM OR OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.—The term

13 ‘‘veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom or Oper14 ation Iraqi Freedom’’ means any veteran who served

15 in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during

16 Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi

17 Freedom.

18 SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF BEREAVE19 MENT COUNSELING.

20 (a) CLARIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF IMMEDIATE

21 FAMILY ELIGIBLE FOR COUNSELING.—Subsection (b) of

22 section 1783 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

23 (1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Secretary’’;

24 and
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1 (2) by adding at the end the following new

2 paragraph:

3 ‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the members

4 of the immediate family of a member of the Armed Forces

5 described in paragraph (1) include the parents of such

6 member.’’.

7 (b) PROVISION OF COUNSELING THROUGH VET CEN8 TERS.—Such section is further amended—

9 (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub10 section (d); and

11 (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol12 lowing new subsection (c):

13 ‘‘(c) PROVISION OF COUNSELING THROUGH VET

14 CENTERS.—Bereavement counseling may be provided

15 under this section through the facilities and personnel of

16 centers for the provision of readjustment counseling and

17 related mental health services under section 1712A of this

18 title.’’.

19 SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR VET CENTER PROGRAM.

20 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Depart21 ment of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2006,

22 $180,000,000 for the provision of readjustment counseling

23 and related mental health services through centers under

24 section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, including
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1 for the discharge of the requirements of this Act (and the

2 amendments made by this Act).

Passed the Senate December 22 (legislative day, December 21), 2005.

Attest:

Secretary.
109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 716

AN ACT

To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance

other purposes.by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and forimprove the provision of bereavement counselingservices provided by vet centers, to clarify and