I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 91 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot program 
on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated 
from service in the Armed Forces. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2017 
Ms. BROWNLEY of California (for herself, Mr. TAKANO, and Ms. KUSTER of 
New Hampshire) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent 
the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for 
women veterans newly separated from service in the 
Armed Forces. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Building Supportive 
Networks for Women Veterans Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. COUNSELING IN RETREAT SETTINGS FOR WOMEN 
VETERANS NEWLY SEPARATED FROM SERV-
ICE IN THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) PERMANENT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
section 1712C the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1712D. Counseling in retreat settings for women 
veterans newly separated 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM.—(1) Commencing on January 1, 
2018, the Secretary shall carry out, through the Readjust-
ment Counseling Service of the Veterans Health Adminis-
tration, a program to provide reintegration and readjust-
ment services described in subsection (b) in group retreat 
settings to women veterans who are recently separated 
from service in the Armed Forces after a prolonged de-
ployment. 
‘‘(2) The participation of a veteran in the program 
under paragraph (1) shall be at the election of the veteran. 
‘‘(b) COVERED SERVICES.—The services provided to 
a woman veteran under the program under subsection 
(a)(1) shall include the following: 
‘‘(1) Information on reintegration into the fam-
ily, employment, and community of the veteran. 
‘‘(2) Financial counseling. 
‘‘(3) Occupational counseling. 
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‘‘(4) Information and counseling on stress re-
duction. 
‘‘(5) Information and counseling on conflict res-
olution. 
‘‘(6) Such other information and counseling as 
the Secretary considers appropriate to assist the vet-
eran in reintegration into the family, employment, 
and community of the veteran. 
‘‘(c) BIENNIAL REPORTS.—Not later than December 
31, 2018, and each even-numbered year thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 
report on the program under subsection (a)(1).’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 1712C 
the following new item: 
‘‘1712D. Counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Effective December 31, 
2017, section 203 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omni-
bus Health Services Act of 2010 (38 U.S.C. 1712A note) 
is repealed. 
Æ 
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