IIB 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5516 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 17, 2021 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to 
Congress a report on the Veterans Integration to Aca-
demic Leadership program of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VITAL Assessment 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. VETERANS INTEGRATION TO ACADEMIC LEADER-
SHIP PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 
report on the Veterans Integration to Academic Leader-
ship program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The 
report shall include the following: 
(1) The number of medical centers of the De-
partment, institutions of higher learning, non-college 
degree programs, and student veterans supported by 
the program, and relevant trends since the program 
began. 
(2) The staff and resources allocated to the 
program, and relevant trends since the program 
began. 
(3) An assessment of the outcomes and effec-
tiveness of the program in— 
(A) supporting student veterans; 
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(B) connecting student veterans to needed 
services of the Department or services provided 
by non-Department entities; 
(C) addressing the mental health needs of 
student veterans; 
(D) lowering the suicide risk of student 
veterans; and 
(E) helping student veterans achieve edu-
cational goals. 
(4) An assessment of barriers to expanding the 
program and how the Secretary intends to address 
such barriers. 
(5) An assessment of whether the program 
should be expanded outside of the Office of Mental 
Health and Suicide Prevention to support students 
veterans with needs unrelated to mental health or 
suicide. 
(b) UNIFORM BEST PRACTICES, GOALS, AND MEAS-
URES.—The Secretary shall establish best practices, goals, 
and measures for the Veterans Integration to Academic 
Leadership program of the Department that are uniform 
among the medical centers of the Department. 
(c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall conduct out-
reach among the Armed Forces, veterans service organiza-
tions, institutions of higher learning, and non-college de-
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gree programs with respect to the Veterans Integration 
to Academic Leadership program of the Department. 
(d) ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary shall assess the 
feasibility and advisability of including the suicide rate for 
student veterans in the National Veteran Suicide Preven-
tion Annual Report of the Office of Mental Health and 
Suicide Prevention of the Department. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘institution of higher learning’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 3452 of 
title 38, United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘student veteran’’ means the fol-
lowing: 
(A) A veteran or member of the Armed 
Forces using educational assistance under any 
of the following provisions of law: 
(i) Chapter 30, 31, 32, or 33 of title 
38, United States Code, or chapter 1606 
or 1607 of title 10, United States Code. 
(ii) Section 116 of the Harry W. 
Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance 
Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–48; 38 
U.S.C. 3001 note). 
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(iii) Section 8006 of the American 
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 
117–2; 38 U.S.C. 3001 note prec.). 
(B) A veteran who is enrolled in an institu-
tion of higher learning or other training pro-
gram, without regard to whether the veteran is 
using educational assistance specified in sub-
paragraph (A). 
Passed the House of Representatives November 16, 
2021. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
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