I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 936
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve programs for homeless
veterans, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 8, 2001
Mr. EVANS (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. BROWN of Flor-
ida, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. REYES,
Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. SHOWS, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico,
Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr.
ETHERIDGE, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr.
HINOJOSA, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. BONIOR, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. LIPINSKI,
Mr. WEINER, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. STUPAK, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr.
FROST, Mr. TIERNEY, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr. KING, Mr. OBERSTAR,
Mr. BISHOP, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr.
LANGEVIN, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. MURTHA, Mrs. MCCARTHY
of New York, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. COYNE, Mr. TAY-
LOR of Mississippi, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. EDWARDS, Ms. BALDWIN,
Mr. CRAMER, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. BRADY of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. GORDON, Mr. ALLEN, Mrs. KELLY, Mr.
PALLONE, Mr. FRANK, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr.
FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. PHELPS, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. HIN-
CHEY, Ms. RIVERS, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma, Mr.
LAMPSON, Mr. STRICKLAND, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. PRICE of North Caro-
lina, Mr. UPTON, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. QUINN, Mr. BECERRA,
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. WU, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr.
KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. WATERS,
Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. JACKSON-LEE
of Texas, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr.
FLETCHER, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. RANGEL, and Mr. CAPUANO) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve programs
for homeless 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Assistance
Act’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings; definitions.
Sec. 3. National goal to end homelessness among veterans.
Sec. 4. Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans.
Sec. 5. Annual meeting requirement for Interagency Council on Homeless.
Sec. 6. Evaluation of homeless programs.
Sec. 7. Changes in veterans equitable resource allocation methodology.
Sec. 8. Per diem payments for furnishing services to homeless veterans.
Sec. 9. Grant program for homeless veterans with special needs.
Sec. 10. Coordination of outreach services for veterans at risk of homelessness.
Sec. 11. Treatment trials in integrated mental health services delivery.
Sec. 12. Dental care.
Sec. 13. Programmatic expansions.
Sec. 14. Various authorities.
Sec. 15. Life safety code for grant and per diem providers.
Sec. 16. Transitional assistance grants pilot program.
Sec. 17. Assistance for grant applications.
Sec. 18. Home loan program for manufactured housing.
Sec. 19. Extension of homeless veterans reintegration program.
Sec. 20. Use of real property.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; DEFINITIONS.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings:
(1) On the field of battle, the members of the
Armed Forces who defend the Nation are honor-
bound to leave no one behind and, likewise, the Na-
tion is honor-bound to leave no veteran behind.
(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs report
known as the Community Homeless Assessment,
Local Education, and Networking Groups for Vet-
erans (CHALENG) assessment, issued in May
2000, reports that during 1999 there were an esti-
mated 344,983 homeless veterans, an increase of 34
percent above the 1998 estimate of 256,872 home-
less veterans.
(3) Male veterans are more likely to be home-
less than their nonveteran peers. Although veterans
constitute only 13 percent of the general male popu-
lation, 23 percent of the homeless male population
are veterans.
(4) Homelessness among veterans is persistent
despite unprecedented economic growth and job cre-
ation and general prosperity.
(5) While there are many effective programs
that assist homeless veterans to again become pro-
ductive and self-sufficient members of society, cur-
rent resources provided to such programs and other
activities that assist homeless veterans are inad-
equate to provide all needed essential services, as-
sistance, and support to homeless veterans.
(6) If current programs to assist homeless vet-
erans are fully maintained but not expanded, vet-
erans will experience as many as a billion nights of
homelessness during the next decade.
(7) The CHALENG assessment referred to in
paragraph (2) reports—
(A) that Department of Veterans Affairs
and community providers were responsible for
establishing almost 500 beds for homeless vet-
erans during 2000, including emergency, transi-
tional, and permanent beds; and
(B) that there is a need for about 45,724
additional beds to meet current needs of home-
less veterans.
(8) As of February 28, 2001, the Congressional
Budget Office forecasts a Federal budget surplus of
$313,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and budget
surpluses totaling more than $5,610,000,000,000
over the next 10 years.
(9) At least $750,000,000 will be required to
establish the 45,724 additional new beds now needed
by homeless veterans, according to an informal De-
partment of Veterans Affairs cost estimate.
(10) Even if the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs and its partners created 2,000 additional beds
per year for homeless veterans (roughly quadrupling
the number of such beds they currently plan to open
annually), it would still take more than two decades
to provide the necessary additional beds to meet the
current needs of homeless veterans.
(11) Nearly four decades ago, the Nation estab-
lished a goal of sending a man to the moon and re-
turning him safely to earth within a decade and ac-
complished that goal, and the Nation can do no less
to end homelessness among the Nation’s veterans.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘homeless veteran’’ means a vet-
eran who—
(A) lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence; or
(B) has a primary nighttime residence that
is—
(i) a supervised publicly or privately
operated shelter designed to provide tem-
porary living accommodations (including
welfare hotels, congregate shelters, grant
per diem shelters and transitional housing
for the mentally ill);
(ii) an institution that provides a tem-
porary residence for individuals intended to
be institutionalized; or
(iii) a public or private place not de-
signed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular
sleeping accommodation for human beings.
(2) The term ‘‘grant and per diem provider’’
means an entity in receipt of a grant under section
3 or 4 of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive
Service Programs Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 7721
note).
SEC. 3. NATIONAL GOAL TO END HOMELESSNESS AMONG
VETERANS.
(a) NATIONAL GOAL.—Congress hereby declares it to
be a national goal to end homelessness among veterans
within a decade.
(b) COOPERATIVE EFFORTS ENCOURAGED.—Con-
gress hereby encourages all departments and agencies of
Federal, State, and local governments, quasi-governmental
organizations, private and public sector entities, including
community-based organizations, and individuals to work
cooperatively to end homelessness among veterans within
a decade.
SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON HOMELESS VETERANS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 5 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section:
‘‘§ 546. Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans
‘‘(a)(1) There is established in the Department the
Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans (hereinafter in
this section referred to as the ‘Committee’).
‘‘(2) The Committee shall consist of not more than
15 members appointed by the Secretary from among the
following:
‘‘(A) Veterans service organizations.
‘‘(B) Advocates of homeless veterans and other
homeless individuals.
‘‘(C) Community-based providers of services to
homeless individuals.
‘‘(D) Previously homeless veterans.
‘‘(E) State veterans affairs officials.
‘‘(F) Experts in the treatment of individuals
with mental illness.
‘‘(G) Experts in the treatment of substance use
disorders.
‘‘(H) Experts in the development of permanent
housing alternatives for lower income populations.
‘‘(I) Experts in vocational rehabilitation.
‘‘(J) Such other organizations or groups as the
Secretary considers appropriate.
‘‘(3) The Committee shall include, as ex officio
members—
‘‘(A) the Secretary of Labor (or a representa-
tive of the Secretary selected after consultation with
the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Em-
ployment);
‘‘(B) the Secretary of Defense (or a representa-
tive of the Secretary);
‘‘(C) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices (or a representative of the Secretary); and
‘‘(D) the Secretary of Housing and Urban De-
velopment (or a representative of the Secretary).
‘‘(4) The Secretary shall determine the terms of serv-
ice and pay and allowances of the members of the Com-
mittee, except that a term of service may not exceed three
years. The Secretary may reappoint any member for addi-
tional terms of service.
‘‘(b)(1) The Secretary shall, on a regular basis, con-
sult with and seek the advice of the Committee with re-
spect to the provision by the Department of benefits and
services to homeless veterans.
‘‘(2)(A) In providing advice to the Secretary under
this subsection, the Committee shall—
‘‘(i) assemble and review information relating to
the needs of homeless veterans;
‘‘(ii) provide an on-going assessment of the ef-
fectiveness of the policies, organizational structures,
and services of the Department in assisting homeless
veterans; and
‘‘(iii) provide on-going advice on the most ap-
propriate means of providing assistance to homeless
veterans.
‘‘(3) The Committee shall—
‘‘(A) review the continuum of services provided
by the Department directly or by contract in order
to define cross-cutting issues and to improve coordi-
nation of all services with the Department that are
involved in addressing the special needs of homeless
veterans;
‘‘(B) identify (through the annual assessments
under section 1774 of this title and other available
resources) gaps in programs of the Department in
serving homeless veterans, including identification of
geographic areas with unmet needs, and provide rec-
ommendations to address those program gaps;
‘‘(C) identify gaps in existing information sys-
tems on homeless veterans, both within and outside
of the Department, and provide recommendations
about redressing problems in data collection;
‘‘(D) identify barriers under existing laws and
policies to effective coordination by the Department
with other Federal agencies and with State and local
agencies addressing homeless populations;
‘‘(E) identify opportunities for increased liaison
by the Department with nongovernmental organiza-
tions and individual groups addressing homeless
populations;
‘‘(F) with appropriate officials of the Depart-
ment designated by the Secretary, participate with
the Interagency Council on the Homeless under title
II of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 11311 et seq.);
‘‘(G) recommend appropriate funding levels for
specialized programs for homeless veterans provided
or funded by the Department;
‘‘(H) recommend appropriate placement options
for veterans who, because of advanced age, frailty,
or severe mental illness, may not be appropriate can-
didates for vocational rehabilitation or independent
living; and
‘‘(I) perform such other functions as the Sec-
retary may direct.
‘‘(c)(1) Not later than March 31 of each year, the
Committee shall submit to the Secretary a report on the
programs and activities of the Department that relate to
homeless veterans. Each such report shall include—
‘‘(A) an assessment of the needs of homeless
veterans;
‘‘(B) a review of the programs and activities of
the Department designed to meet such needs;
‘‘(C) a review of the activities of the Committee;
and
‘‘(D) such recommendations (including rec-
ommendations for administrative and legislative ac-
tion) as the Committee considers appropriate.
‘‘(2) Not later than 90 days after the receipt of a
report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall transmit
to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and
House of Representatives a copy of the report, together
with any comments and recommendations concerning the
report that the Secretary considers appropriate.
‘‘(3) The Committee may also submit to the Sec-
retary such other reports and recommendations as the
Committee considers appropriate.
‘‘(4) The Secretary shall submit with each annual re-
port submitted to the Congress pursuant to section 529
of this title a summary of all reports and recommendations
of the Committee submitted to the Secretary since the pre-
vious annual report of the Secretary submitted pursuant
to that section.
‘‘(d)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the pro-
visions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C.
App.) shall apply to the activities of the Committee under
this section.
‘‘(2) Section 14 of such Act shall not apply to the
Committee.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding
at the end the following new item:
‘‘546. Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans.’’.
SEC. 5. MEETINGS OF INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOME-
LESS.
Section 202(c) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless As-
sistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11312(c)) is amended to read as
follows:
‘‘(c) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet at the call
of its Chairperson or a majority of its members, but not
less often than annually.’’.
SEC. 6. EVALUATION OF HOMELESS PROGRAMS.
(a) EVALUATION CENTERS.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall support the continuation within the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs of at least one center for
evaluation to monitor the structure, process, and outcome
of programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs that
address homeless veterans.
(b) ANNUAL REPORT ON HEALTH CARE.—The Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress an annual report on pro-
grams of the Department of Veterans Affairs addressing
health care needs of homeless veterans. The Secretary
shall include in each such report the following:
(1) Information about expenditures, costs, and
workload under the Department of Veterans Affairs
program known as the Health Care for Homeless
Veterans program (HCHV).
(2) Information about the veterans contacted
through that program.
(3) Information about processes under that pro-
gram.
(4) Information about program treatment out-
comes under that program.
(5) Information about supported housing pro-
grams.
(6) Information about the Department’s grant
and per diem provider program.
(7) Other information the Secretary considers
relevant in assessing the program.
(c) 
ANNUAL
PROGRAM
ASSESSMENT.—Section
1774(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘annual’’ in paragraph (1)
after ‘‘to make an’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(6) The Secretary shall review each annual assess-
ment under this subsection and shall consolidate the find-
ings and conclusions of those assessments into an annual
report to be submitted to Congress.’’.
SEC. 7. CHANGES IN VETERANS EQUITABLE RESOURCE AL-
LOCATION METHODOLOGY.
(a) ALLOCATION CATEGORIES.—The Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall assign veterans receiving the fol-
lowing services to the resource allocation category des-
ignated as ‘‘complex care’’ within the Veterans Equitable
Resource Allocation system:
(1) Care provided to veterans enrolled in the
Department of Veterans Affairs program for Mental
Health Intensive Community Case Management.
(2) Continuous care in homeless chronically
mentally ill veterans programs.
(3) Continuous care within specialized pro-
grams provided to veterans who have been diagnosed
with both serious chronic mental illness and sub-
stance use disorders.
(4) Continuous therapy combined with sheltered
housing provided to veterans in specialized treat-
ment for substance use disorders.
(5) Specialized therapies provided to veterans
with post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), includ-
ing the following:
(A) Specialized outpatient PTSD pro-
grams.
(B) PTSD clinical teams.
(C) Women veterans stress disorder treat-
ment teams.
(D) Substance abuse disorder PTSD
teams.
(b) TREATMENT OF FUNDS FOR NEW PROGRAMS
FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.—The Secretary shall ensure
that funds for any new program for homeless veterans car-
ried out through a Department health care facility are des-
ignated for the first three years of operation of that pro-
gram as a special purpose program for which funds are
not allocated through the Veterans Equitable Resource Al-
location system.
SEC. 8. PER DIEM PAYMENTS FOR FURNISHING SERVICES
TO HOMELESS VETERANS.
(a) INCREASE IN RATE OF PER DIEM PAYMENTS.—
Section 4 of the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Serv-
ice Programs Act of 1992 (38 U.S.C. 7721 note) is
amended by striking ‘‘at such rates’’ and all that follows
through ‘‘homeless veterans—’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘at the same rates as the rates authorized for
State homes for domiciliary care provided under section
1741 of title 38, United States Code, for services fur-
nished to homeless veterans—’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall take effect on the first day of the first
fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 9. GRANT PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS VETERANS WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall carry out a program to make grants to health
care facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and
to grant and per diem providers in order to encourage de-
velopment by those facilities and providers of programs
targeted at meeting special needs within the population
of homeless veterans.
(b) SPECIAL NEEDS.—For purposes of this section,
homeless veterans with special needs include homeless vet-
erans who—
(1) are women;
(2) are 50 years of age or older;
(3) are substance abusers;
(4) are persons with post-traumatic stress dis-
order;
(5) are terminally ill;
(6) are chronically mentally ill; or
(7) have care of minor dependents or other
family members.
(c) STUDY OF OUTCOME EFFECTIVENESS.—The Sec-
retary shall conduct a study of the effectiveness of the
grant program in meeting the needs of homeless veterans.
As part of the study, the Secretary shall compare the re-
sults of programs carried out in the grant program under
this section in terms of veterans’ satisfaction, health sta-
tus, reduction in addiction severity, housing, and encour-
agement of productive activity with results for similar vet-
erans in programs of the Department or of grant and per
diem providers that are designed to meet the general needs
of homeless veterans.
(d) FUNDING.—From amounts appropriated to the
Department of Veterans Affairs for ‘‘Medical Care’’ for
each of fiscal years 2003, 2004, and 2005, the amount
of $5,000,000 shall be available for the purposes of the
program under this section. Grants under this section to
a health care facility of the Department or a grant and
per diem provider shall be treated in the manner provided
in section 7(b).
SEC. 10. COORDINATION OF OUTREACH SERVICES FOR
VETERANS AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.
(a) OUTREACH PLAN.—The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, acting through the Under Secretary for Health,
shall provide for appropriate officials of the Mental Health
Service and the Readjustment Counseling Service of the
Veterans Health Administration to initiate a coordinated
plan for joint outreach to veterans at risk of homelessness,
including particularly veterans who are being discharged
from institutions (including discharges from inpatient psy-
chiatric care, substance abuse treatment programs, and
penal institutions).
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The outreach plan
under subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) Strategies to identify and collaborate with
external entities used by veterans who have not tra-
ditionally used Department of Veterans Affairs serv-
ices to further outreach efforts.
(2) Strategies to ensure that mentoring pro-
grams, recovery support groups, and other appro-
priate support networks are optimally available to
veterans.
(3) Appropriate programs or referrals to family
support programs.
(4) Means to increase access to case manage-
ment services.
(5) Plans for making additional employment
services accessible to veterans.
(6) Appropriate referral sources for mental
health and substance abuse services.
(c) COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIPS.—The plan shall
identify strategies for the Department to enter into formal
cooperative relationships with entities outside the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs to facilitate making services and
resources optimally available to veterans.
(d) REVIEW OF PLAN.—The Secretary shall submit
the plan under subsection (a) to the Advisory Committee
on Homeless Veterans for its review and consultation.
(e) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—Not later than two
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs
of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on
the Secretary’s plan under subsection (a), including goals
and timelines for implementation of the plan for particular
facilities and service networks.
(f) OUTREACH PROGRAM.—(1) The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall carry out an outreach program to pro-
vide information to homeless veterans and veterans at risk
of homelessness. The program shall include at a
minimum—
(A) provision of information about benefits
available to eligible veterans from the Department;
and
(B) contact information for local Department
facilities, including medical facilities, regional offices,
and veterans centers.
(2) In developing and carrying out the program under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, to the extent prac-
ticable, consult with appropriate public and private organi-
zations, including the Bureau of Prisons, State social serv-
ice agencies, the Department of Defense, and mental
health, veterans, and homeless advocates—
(A) for assistance in identifying and contacting
veterans who are homeless or at risk of homeless-
ness;
(B) to coordinate appropriate outreach activi-
ties with those organizations; and
(C) to coordinate services provided to veterans
with services provided by those organizations.
SEC. 11. TREATMENT TRIALS IN INTEGRATED MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES DELIVERY.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall carry out two treatment trials in integrated
mental health services delivery. Each such trial shall be
carried out at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical
center selected by the Secretary for such purpose. The
trials shall each be carried out over the same one-year pe-
riod.
(b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the
term ‘‘integrated mental health services delivery’’ means
a coordinated and standardized approach to evaluation for
enrollment, treatment, and followup with patients who
have both mental health disorders (to include substance
use disorders) and medical conditions between mental
health and primary health care professionals.
(c) SITE SELECTION CRITERIA.—In reviewing appli-
cations from Department medical centers for selection as
a site for a treatment trial under this section, the Sec-
retary shall consider models that use the following:
(1) Standardized criteria for admission and en-
rollment as participant or control;
(2) Focus on prevention and symptom reduc-
tion.
(3) Development of a comprehensive, integrated
treatment plan.
(4) Patient assignment to team or teams.
(5) Management of polypharmacy.
(6) Use of evidence-based treatment protocols.
(7) Case management between visits.
(8) Referral and coordination of appropriate
Department or community-based services (including
housing if necessary).
(9) Ability to maintain and provide outcomes
for comparison purposes on veterans with similar di-
agnoses and characteristics who are not included in
the trial, but who are receiving traditional consult-
ative services in the same facility.
(d) 
COSTS.—The 
Secretary 
may 
use 
up 
to
$2,000,000 from funds available to the Secretary for Med-
ical Care for costs for each of the treatment trials. Funds
identified by the Secretary for the trials shall remain avail-
able until expended.
(e) TREATMENT MODELS TO BE TESTED.—The two
treatment trials shall each use one of the following models:
(1) Mental health primary care teams.
(2) Patient assignment to a mental health pri-
mary care team that is linked with the patient’s
medical primary care team.
(f) STUDY OF EFFECTIVENESS.—The Secretary shall
compare treatment outcomes of the different treatment
trials for chronically mentally ill veterans who are provided
treatment through integrated mental health programs
with treatment outcomes, including such outcomes as vet-
erans’ satisfaction, health status, treatment compliance,
patient functionality, reduction in addiction severity as
well as service utilization and treatment costs with results
for similar chronically mentally ill veterans provided treat-
ment through traditionally consultative relationships.
(g) RESULTS.—Not later than 30 months after selec-
tion of the two centers under this section, each selected
center shall complete measures of treatment outcomes
under subsection (f), as well as measures for matched con-
trols.
(h) MANDATORY AUDIT OF RESULTS.—The Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs Medical Inspector General shall
review medical records of participants and controls for
both trials to ensure that results are accurate.
(i) REPORT AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS.—Not
later than two years after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report
setting forth the results of that comparison and such rec-
ommendations as the Secretary may have. Based upon the
Secretary’s conclusions, the Secretary shall disseminate
the best practices for treatment of mentally ill veterans
in such manner as the Secretary determines appropriate
on a nationwide basis.
SEC. 12. DENTAL CARE.
(a) 
IN
GENERAL.—For 
purposes 
of 
section
1712(a)(1)(H) of title 38, United States Code, outpatient
dental services and treatment of a dental condition or dis-
ability of a veteran described in subsection (b) shall be
considered to be medically necessary if—
(1) the dental services and treatment are nec-
essary for the veteran to successfully gain or regain
employment;
(2) the dental services and treatment are nec-
essary to alleviate pain; or
(3) the dental services and treatment are nec-
essary for treatment of moderate, severe, or severe
and complicated gingival and periodontal pathology.
(b) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—Subsection (a) applies to
a veteran who is—
(1) enrolled for care under section 1705(a) of
title 38, United States Code; and
(2) who is receiving care (directly or by con-
tract) in any of the following settings:
(A) A domiciliary under section 1710 of
such title.