H. R. 203 
One Hundred Fourteenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE FIRST SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 
the sixth day of January, two thousand and fifteen 
An Act 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for the conduct of annual 
evaluations of mental health care and suicide prevention programs of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, to require a pilot program on loan repayment for 
psychiatrists who agree to serve in the Veterans Health Administration of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention 
for American Veterans Act’’ or the ‘‘Clay Hunt SAV Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EVALUATIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND SUICIDE 
PREVENTION PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS. 
(a) EVALUATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 17 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
‘‘§ 1709B. Evaluations of mental health care and suicide 
prevention programs 
‘‘(a) EVALUATIONS.—(1) Not less frequently than once during 
each period specified in paragraph (3), the Secretary shall provide 
for the conduct of an evaluation of the mental health care and 
suicide prevention programs carried out under the laws adminis-
tered by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) Each evaluation conducted under paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(A) use metrics that are common among and useful for 
practitioners in the field of mental health care and suicide 
prevention; 
‘‘(B) identify the most effective mental health care and 
suicide prevention programs conducted by the Secretary, 
including such programs conducted at a Center of Excellence; 
‘‘(C) identify the cost-effectiveness of each program identi-
fied under subparagraph (B); 
‘‘(D) measure the satisfaction of patients with respect to 
the care provided under each such program; and 
‘‘(E) propose best practices for caring for individuals who 
suffer from mental health disorders or are at risk of suicide, 
including such practices conducted or suggested by other 
departments or agencies of the Federal Government, including 
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administra-
tion of the Department of Health and Human Services.
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‘‘(3) The periods specified in this paragraph are the following: 
‘‘(A) The period beginning on the date on which the Sec-
retary awards the contract under paragraph (4) and ending 
on September 30, 2018. 
‘‘(B) Each fiscal year beginning on or after October 1, 
2018. 
‘‘(4) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this section, the Secretary shall seek to enter into a contract 
with an independent third party unaffiliated with the Department 
of Veterans Affairs to conduct evaluations under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(5) The independent third party that is awarded the contract 
under paragraph (4) shall submit to the Secretary each evaluation 
conducted under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(b) ANNUAL SUBMISSION.—Not later than December 1, 2018, 
and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that 
contains the following: 
‘‘(1) The most recent evaluations submitted to the Secretary 
under subsection (a)(5) that the Secretary has not previously 
submitted to such Committees. 
‘‘(2) Any recommendations the Secretary considers appro-
priate.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at the 
beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 1709A the following new item: 
‘‘1709B. Evaluations of mental health care and suicide prevention programs.’’. 
(b) INTERIM REPORTS.—Not later than September 30 of each 
of 2016 and 2017, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination 
with the independent third party awarded a contract by the Sec-
retary pursuant to section 1709B(a)(4) of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), shall submit to the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the mental 
health care and suicide prevention programs carried out under 
the laws administered by the Secretary that includes, with respect 
to each such program, the following: 
(1) A description of the program. 
(2) The number of veterans served by the program. 
(3) The budget of the program. 
(4) The number of full-time equivalent employees assigned 
to the program. 
(5) Whether veterans may repeat participation in the pro-
gram or participate in the program in addition to other similar 
programs. 
(6) Any study results or research published regarding the 
efficacy of the program. 
(7) Any other information the Secretary determines appro-
priate. 
SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF INTERNET WEBSITE TO PROVIDE INFORMA-
TION REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Using funds made available to the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs to publish the Internet websites of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary shall survey the existing 
Internet websites and information resources of the Department
H. R. 203—3 
to publish an Internet website that serves as a centralized source 
to provide veterans with information regarding all of the mental 
health care services provided by the Secretary. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The Internet website published under sub-
section (a) shall provide to veterans information regarding all of 
the mental health care services available in the Veteran Integrated 
Service Network that the veteran is seeking such services, 
including, with respect to each medical center, Vet Center (as 
defined in section 1712A of title 38, United States Code), and 
community-based outpatient center in the Veterans Integrated 
Service Network— 
(1) the name and contact information of each social work 
office; 
(2) the name and contact information of each mental health 
clinic; 
(3) a list of appropriate staff; and 
(4) any other information the Secretary determines appro-
priate. 
(c) UPDATED INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that 
the information described in subsection (b) that is published on 
the Internet website under subsection (a) is updated not less than 
once every 90 days. 
(d) OUTREACH.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
ensure that the outreach conducted under section 1720F(i) of title 
38, United States Code, includes information regarding the Internet 
website published under subsection (a). 
SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM FOR REPAYMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LOANS 
FOR 
CERTAIN 
PSYCHIATRISTS 
OF 
VETERANS 
HEALTH 
ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
carry out a pilot program to repay loans of individuals described 
in subsection (b) that— 
(1) were used by such individuals to finance education 
relating to psychiatric medicine, including education leading 
to— 
(A) a degree of doctor of medicine; or 
(B) a degree of doctor of osteopathy; and 
(2) were obtained from any of the following: 
(A) A governmental entity. 
(B) A private financial institution. 
(C) A school. 
(D) Any other authorized entity as determined by the 
Secretary. 
(b) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), an individual 
eligible for participation in the pilot program is an individual 
who— 
(A) either— 
(i) is licensed or eligible for licensure to practice 
psychiatric medicine in the Veterans Health Adminis-
tration of the Department of Veterans Affairs; or 
(ii) is enrolled in the final year of a residency 
program leading to a specialty qualification in psy-
chiatric medicine that is approved by the Accreditation 
Council for Graduate Medical Education; and
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(B) demonstrates a commitment to a long-term career 
as a psychiatrist in the Veterans Health Administration, 
as determined by the Secretary. 
(2) PROHIBITION ON SIMULTANEOUS ELIGIBILITY.—An indi-
vidual who is participating in any other program of the Federal 
Government that repays the educational loans of the individual 
is not eligible to participate in the pilot program. 
(c) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select not less than 10 
individuals described in subsection (b) to participate in the pilot 
program for each year in which the Secretary carries out the pilot 
program. 
(d) PERIOD OF OBLIGATED SERVICE.—The Secretary shall enter 
into an agreement with each individual selected under subsection 
(c) in which such individual agrees to serve a period of 2 or more 
years of obligated service for the Veterans Health Administration 
in the field of psychiatric medicine, as determined by the Secretary. 
(e) LOAN REPAYMENTS.— 
(1) AMOUNTS.—Subject to paragraph (2), a loan repayment 
under this section may consist of payment of the principal, 
interest, and related expenses of a loan obtained by an indi-
vidual who is participating in the pilot program for all edu-
cational expenses (including tuition, fees, books, and laboratory 
expenses) of such individual relating to education described 
in subsection (a)(1). 
(2) LIMIT.—For each year of obligated service that an indi-
vidual who is participating in the pilot program agrees to 
serve under subsection (d), the Secretary may pay not more 
than $30,000 in loan repayment on behalf of such individual. 
(f) BREACH.— 
(1) LIABILITY.—An individual who participates in the pilot 
program and fails to satisfy the period of obligated service 
under subsection (d) shall be liable to the United States, in 
lieu of such obligated service, for the amount that has been 
paid or is payable to or on behalf of the individual under 
the pilot program, reduced by the proportion that the number 
of days served for completion of the period of obligated service 
bears to the total number of days in the period of obligated 
service of such individual. 
(2) REPAYMENT PERIOD.—Any amount of damages that the 
United States is entitled to recover under this subsection shall 
be paid to the United States not later than 1 year after the 
date of the breach of the agreement. 
(g) REPORT.— 
(1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
on which the pilot program under subsection (a) commences, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
of the House of Representatives a report on the pilot program. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
include the following: 
(A) The number of individuals who participated in 
the pilot program, including the number of new hires. 
(B) The locations in which such individuals were 
employed by the Department, including how many such 
locations were rural or urban locations.