II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 714 

To require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

to jointly conduct a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability 

of expanding the use by the Department of Defense and the Department 

of Veterans Affairs of physician assistants specializing in psychiatric 

medicine, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 11, 2015 

Mr. DONNELLY (for himself and Mr. BOOZMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs to jointly conduct a pilot program to 

assess the feasibility and advisability of expanding the 

use by the Department of Defense and the Department 

of Veterans Affairs of physician assistants specializing 

in psychiatric medicine, 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 ‘‘Frontline Mental 

5 Health Provider Training Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON EXPANSION OF USE OF PHYSI2 CIAN ASSISTANTS TO PROVIDE MENTAL 

3 HEALTH CARE TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

4 FORCES AND VETERANS. 

5 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than one year after 

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

7 Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (in this sec8 tion referred to as the ‘‘Secretaries’’) shall jointly com9 mence the conduct of a pilot program to assess the feasi10 bility and advisability of expanding the use by the Depart11 ment of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs 

12 of physician assistants specializing in psychiatric medicine 

13 at medical facilities of the Department of Defense and the 

14 Department of Veterans Affairs in order to meet the in15 creasing demand for mental health care providers at such 

16 facilities through the use of an 18-month psychiatry fel17 lowship program for physician assistants. 

18 (b) LOCATIONS.— 

19 (1) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.—The Sec20 retary of Defense shall carry out the pilot program 

21 at not less than three military medical treatment fa22 cilities, of which— 

23 (A) not less than one shall be a military 

24 medical treatment facility under the jurisdiction 

25 of the Secretary of the Army; 


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1 (B) not less than one shall be a military 

2 medical treatment facility under the jurisdiction 

3 of the Secretary of the Navy; and 

4 (C) not less than one shall be a military 

5 medical treatment facility under the jurisdiction 

6 of the Secretary of the Air Force. 

7 (2) DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.— 

8 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out 

9 the pilot program at not less than three medical cen10 ters of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

11 (c) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para13 graph (2), an individual eligible for participation in 

14 the pilot program is an individual who— 

15 (A) has successfully graduated with a mas16 ters degree in physician assistant studies from 

17 an accredited physician assistant program; 

18 (B) is certified by the National Commis19 sion on Certification of Physician Assistants; 

20 (C) has a valid license, certification, and 

21 registration necessary to practice medicine; and 

22 (D) does not have any pending challenge, 

23 investigation, revocation, restriction, discipli24 nary action, suspension, reprimand, probation, 

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1 cense, certification, or registration described in 

2 subparagraph (C). 

3 (2) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.—With respect 

4 to the conduct of the pilot program at a military 

5 medical treatment facility, an individual eligible for 

6 participation in the pilot program is an individual 

7 who— 

8 (A) qualifies as an eligible individual under 

9 paragraph (1); 

10 (B) is a commissioned officer in the Armed 

11 Forces; and 

12 (C) meets the requirements necessary to be 

13 deployed as such an officer throughout the 

14 world. 

15 (d) SELECTION OF INDIVIDUALS.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each of the Secretaries shall 

17 select not less than 12 individuals described in sub18 section (c) to participate in the pilot program for 

19 each 18-month psychiatry fellowship program car20 ried out under subsection (e). 

21 (2) DISTRIBUTION.—Each of the Secretaries 

22 shall equally distribute the individuals selected under 

23 paragraph (1) among the locations at which the pilot 

24 program is to be carried out by such Secretary. 

25 (e) PSYCHIATRY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot 

2 program, the Secretaries shall establish an 18-month 

3 psychiatry fellowship program for physician assist4 ants that meets the training model for acuity, mix5 ture, and volume established for psychiatric resi6 dency programs. 

7 (2) TRAINING AND EDUCATION.—The psy8 chiatric fellowship program established under para9 graph (1) shall provide to eligible individuals who 

10 are selected for the program the following: 

11 (A) Training that is equivalent to training 

12 received during a psychiatric residency with re13 spect to guidelines, objectives, and milestones. 

14 (B) Education leading to a clinical doc15 torate of science in psychiatry that addresses 

16 the following: 

17 (i) Inpatient care. 

18 (ii) Outpatient care. 

19 (iii) Emergency psychiatry. 

20 (iv) Neurology, including child, adoles21 cent, and geriatric neurology. 

22 (v) Pain management. 

23 (vi) Addictive psychiatry. 

24 (vii) Psycho-pharmacology. 

25 (viii) Traumatic brain injury. 


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1 (ix) Clinical practice guidelines. 

2 (C) Education that addresses the par3 ticular needs of rural and other underserved 

4 populations of members of the Armed Forces 

5 and veterans to ensure a particular approach to 

6 psychiatry that benefits those individuals. 

7 (3) USE OF OTHER PROGRAMS.—In carrying 

8 out the psychiatric fellowship program under para9 graph (1), the Secretaries shall use resources avail10 able to the Secretaries under existing graduate med11 ical education programs of the Department of De12 fense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to the 

13 greatest extent possible. 

14 (f) REPORTS ON PILOT PROGRAM.— 

15 (1) INITIAL REPORT.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two 

17 years after the date on which the pilot program 

18 commences under subsection (a), the Secre19 taries shall jointly submit to the appropriate 

20 committees of Congress a report on the pilot 

21 program. 

22 (B) ELEMENTS.—The report required by 

23 subparagraph (A) shall include the following: 

24 (i) A description of the implementa25 tion of the pilot program at each location 


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1 of the pilot program, including a detailed 

2 description of the education and training 

3 provided under the pilot program at such 

4 location. 

5 (ii) A description and explanation of 

6 differences, if any, in the implementation 

7 and performance of the pilot program 

8 among the locations of the pilot program. 

9 (iii) An assessment of the satisfaction 

10 of members of the Armed Forces and vet11 erans with mental health care provided 

12 under the pilot program, including an as13 sessment of the outcomes of such care. 

14 (iv) An assessment of cost savings, if 

15 any, to the Federal Government resulting 

16 from the pilot program. 

17 (v) A description of improvements, if 

18 any, to the access of members of the 

19 Armed Forces and veterans to mental 

20 health care resulting from the pilot pro21 gram. 

22 (vi) A description of recommenda23 tions, if any, of the Secretaries of alter24 native methods to improve the access of 

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1 erans to mental health care other than 

2 through the pilot program. 

3 (vii) A recommendation as to the fea4 sibility and advisability of extending or ex5 panding the pilot program. 

6 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 90 days 

7 before the date on which the pilot program termi8 nates under subsection (g), the Secretaries shall 

9 jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Con10 gress an update to the report submitted under para11 graph (1). 

12 (3) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS

13 DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appro14 priate committees of Congress’’ means— 

15 (A) the Committee on Armed Services and 

16 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen17 ate; and 

18 (B) the Committee on Armed Services and 

19 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

20 House of Representatives. 

21 (g) TERMINATION.—The authority of the Secretaries 

22 to carry out the pilot program shall terminate upon the 

23 completion of two 18-month psychiatry fellowship pro24 grams conducted under subsection (e). 

Æ 


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