I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3442
To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the rehabilitative services 
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans with mental 
illnesses and other veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 5, 2003
Mrs. NAPOLITANO (for herself and Mr. MURPHY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the 
rehabilitative services provided by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to veterans with mental illnesses and 
other veterans, 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 ‘‘Veterans Mental 
Health and Back-to-Work Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The statutory advisory committee of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs known as the Com-
mittee on Care of Veterans with Serious Mental Ill-
ness has underscored the need to integrate psycho-
social recovery in the treatment of mental illness. 
(2) In its report to the President dated July 22, 
2003, the President’s New Freedom Commision on 
Mental Health (established by Executive order No. 
13263 of April 29, 2002), identified the hope of re-
covery as the single most important goal of mental 
health service delivery. 
(3) The Surgeon General, in a report on mental 
health issued in 1999, stated that ‘‘state of the art 
care for severe mental illness is recovery oriented 
care which requires an array of services that include 
intensive case management, access to substance 
abuse treatment, peer support and psychosocial re-
habilitation such as pharmacologic treatment, hous-
ing, employment services, independent living and so-
cial skills training.’’. 
(4) During fiscal year 2002, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs treated 757,767 patients in spe-
cialty mental health settings, of whom 293,246 were 
seriously mentally ill.
(5) Approximately 21 percent of all patients 
seen by the Department of Veterans Affairs are seen 
for mental health treatment. 
(6) When veterans with mental illness do not 
receive comprehensive rehabilitative care, they are 
more likely to become homeless and, according to 
the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 45 
percent of homeless veterans suffer from at least one 
mental illness and need help finding a job. 
(7) A study of the program operations of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs during fiscal year 
2000 found that fewer than one percent of the 
82,000 veterans under the age of 55 who have schiz-
ophrenia participated in compensated work therapy 
programs. 
(8) The National Mental Health Information 
Center of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration of the Department of 
Health and Human Services found a shocking 90 
percent unemployment rate among adults with seri-
ous mental illness, the worst level of unemployment 
of any group of people with disabilities. 
(9) A study by the National Mental Health In-
formation Center found that serious mental illness 
need not lead to unemployment when seriously men-
tally ill individuals are given proper training and em-
ployment support services. 
SEC. 3. ENHANCEMENT OF REHABILITATIVE SERVICES FOR 
VETERANS 
WITH 
MENTAL 
ILLNESS 
AND 
OTHER VETERANS. 
(a) REHABILITATIVE SERVICES THROUGH MEDICAL 
CARE AUTHORITY.—Section 1701(8) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘(other than those types of vocational rehabilitation 
services provided under chapter 31 of this title)’’. 
(b) EXPANSION OF AUTHORIZED REHABILITATIVE 
SERVICES.—Section 1718 is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)(1)—
(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (b) of this sec-
tion’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b) or (d)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘paragraph (2) of such 
subsection’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)(2)’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and 
(f) as subsections (e), (f), and (g), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing new subsection (d): 
‘‘(d) In providing to a veteran rehabilitative services 
under this chapter, the Secretary may furnish the veteran 
with the following: 
‘‘(1) Work skills training and development serv-
ices.
‘‘(2) Employment support services. 
‘‘(3) Job development and placement services.’’. 
SEC. 4. COMMITTEE ON CARE OF VETERANS WITH SERIOUS 
MENTAL ILLNESS. 
(a) NAME OF COMMITTEE.—The committee of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs established under section 
7321 of title 38, United States Code, shall be known and 
designated as the ‘‘Committee on Care of Veterans with 
Serious Mental Illness’’. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED IN ANNUAL RE-
PORT.—Section 7321 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(e) The committee shall include in its annual report 
to the Secretary its assessment of how the programs of 
the Department under section 1718 of this title are serv-
ing veterans with mental illness. The committee shall in-
clude such recommendations for improving services to vet-
erans with mental illness under such programs as the com-
mittee considers appropriate.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) Subsection (a) 
of such section is amended by striking ‘‘Committee on 
Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Committee on Care of Veterans with Serious 
Mental Illness’’.