113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5059 
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 Department 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clay Hunt Suicide Pre-
vention for American Veterans Act’’ or the ‘‘Clay Hunt 
SAV Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EVALUATIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND SUI-
CIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS OF DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) EVALUATIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 
once each year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall provide for the conduct of an evaluation of the 
mental health care and suicide prevention programs 
carried out under the laws administered by the Sec-
retary. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each evaluation conducted 
under paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) use metrics that are common among 
and useful for practitioners in the field of men-
tal health care and suicide prevention; 
(B) identify the most effective mental 
health care and suicide prevention programs 
conducted by the Secretary, including such pro-
grams conducted at a Center of Excellence;
(C) identify the cost-effectiveness of each 
program identified 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 dis-
orders or are at risk of suicide, including such 
practices conducted or suggested by other de-
partments or agencies of the Federal Govern-
ment, including the Substance Abuse and Men-
tal Health Services Administration of the De-
partment of Health and Human Services. 
(3) THIRD PARTY.—Each evaluation conducted 
under paragraph (1) shall be conducted by an inde-
pendent third party unaffiliated with the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs. Such third party shall 
submit to the Secretary each such evaluation. 
(b) ANNUAL SUBMISSION.—Not later than December 
1 of each year, beginning in 2015, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee 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)(3) that the Sec-
(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 deter-
mines appropriate. 
(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 EDU-
CATIONAL LOANS FOR CERTAIN PSYCHIA-
TRISTS OF VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRA-
TION. 
(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 deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
(b) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), an 
individual eligible for participation in the pilot pro-
gram is an individual who— 
(A) either— 
(i) is licensed or eligible for licensure 
to practice psychiatric medicine in the Vet-
erans Health Administration of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs; or 
(ii) is enrolled in the final year of a 
residency program leading to a specialty 
qualification in psychiatric medicine that is 
approved by the Accreditation Council for 
Graduate Medical Education; and
(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
ELIGI-
BILITY.—An individual who is participating in any 
other program of the Federal Government that re-
pays the educational loans of the individual is not el-
igible to participate in the pilot program. 
(c) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select not less 
than 10 individuals described in subsection (b) to partici-
pate in the pilot program for each year in which the Sec-
retary carries out the pilot program. 
(d) PERIOD
OF OBLIGATED SERVICE.—The Sec-
retary 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 ex-
penses of a loan obtained by an individual who is 
participating in the pilot program for all educational
expenses (including tuition, fees, books, and labora-
tory expenses) of such individual relating to edu-
cation described in subsection (a)(1). 
(2) LIMIT.—For each year of obligated service 
that an individual 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 lia-
ble to the United States, in lieu of such obligated 
service, for the amount that has been paid or is pay-
able 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 obli-
gated service bears to the total number of days in 
the period of obligated service of such individual. 
(2) REPAYMENT PERIOD.—Any amount of dam-
ages 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 sub-
section (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 pro-
gram. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) The number of individuals who partici-
pated in the pilot program, including the num-
ber 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. 
(C) An assessment of the quality of the 
work performed by such individuals in the 
course of such employment, including the per-
formance reviews of such individuals. 
(D) The number of psychiatrists the Sec-
retary determines is needed by the Department 
in the future. 
(3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 90 days 
before the date on which the pilot program termi-
nates under subsection (i), the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives an update to the re-
port submitted under paragraph (1) and any rec-
ommendations that the Secretary considers appro-
priate. 
(h) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 
regulations to carry out this section, including standards 
for qualified loans and authorized payees and other terms 
and conditions for the making of loan repayments. 
(i) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out the 
pilot program shall expire on the date that is 3 years after 
the date on which the Secretary commences the pilot pro-
gram. 
SEC. 5. PILOT PROGRAM ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall establish a pilot program to assist veterans 
transitioning from serving on active duty and to improve 
the access of veterans to mental health services. 
(b) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall carry out the 
pilot program under subsection (a) at not less than five 
Veterans Integrated Service Networks that have a large 
population of veterans who—
(1) served in the reserve components of the 
Armed Forces; or 
(2) are transitioning into communities with an 
established population of veterans after having re-
cently separated from the Armed Forces. 
(c) FUNCTIONS.—The pilot program at each Vet-
erans Integrated Service Network described in subsection 
(b) shall include the following: 
(1) A community oriented veteran peer support 
network, carried out in partnership with an appro-
priate entity with experience in peer support pro-
grams, that— 
(A) establishes peer support training 
guidelines; 
(B) develops a network of veteran peer 
support counselors to meet the demands of the 
communities in the Veterans Integrated Service 
Network; 
(C) conducts training of veteran peer sup-
port counselors; 
(D) with respect to one medical center se-
lected by the Secretary in each such Veterans 
Integrated Service Network, has—