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 ‘‘Ask Veterans Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SURVEY OF VETERAN EXPERIENCES WITH DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CARE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall seek to enter into a contract with a non-government 
entity with significant experience conducting scientifically 
verifiable surveys and research to conduct an annual survey 
of a statistically significant sample of veterans who reside 
in the geographic area served by each of the medical facili-
ties of the Department of Veterans Affairs to determine the 
nature of the experiences of such veterans in obtaining hos-
pital care and medical services furnished by the Secretary 
at each such medical facility. Each such survey shall be con-
ducted using scientific and verifiable methods. Such con-
tract shall provide that the non-government entity shall 
conduct such annual surveys during the five-year period be-
ginning on the date on which the Secretary enters into the 
contract with the non-government entity. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The contract entered into under sub-
section (a) shall provide that each survey conducted pursu-
ant to the contract shall be specific to a medical facility 
of the Department and shall include questions relating to 
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the experiences of veterans in requesting and receiving ap-
pointments for hospital care and medical services furnished 
by the Secretary at that medical facility, including ques-
tions relating to each of the following: 
(1) The veteran’s ability to obtain hospital care 
and medical services at the facility in a timely man-
ner. 
(2) The period of time between the date on which 
the veteran requests an appointment at the facility 
and the date on which the appointment is scheduled. 
(3) The frequency with which scheduled appoint-
ments are cancelled by the facility. 
(4) The quality of hospital care or medical serv-
ices the veteran has received at the facility. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—The contract entered into under 
subsection (a) shall provide that in designing and con-
ducting the surveys for each medical facility of the Depart-
ment pursuant to such contract, the non-government entity 
shall consult with veterans service organizations. 
(d) CERTIFICATION.—The contract entered into under 
subsection (a) shall provide that— 
(1) before conducting a survey pursuant to the 
contract, the non-government entity shall submit the 
proposed survey to the Comptroller General who shall 
assess whether the survey is scientifically valid and 
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whether the proposed sample size of veterans to be 
surveyed is statistically significant; and 
(2) the non-government entity may not conduct 
such a survey until the Comptroller General provides 
such a certification for the survey. 
(e) SUBMITTAL
OF RESULTS
AND PUBLIC AVAIL-
ABILITY OF INFORMATION.—Not later than 30 days after 
the completion of the surveys conducted pursuant to a con-
tract entered into under subsection (a) for a year, the Sec-
retary shall make the results of the surveys publicly avail-
able on the Internet website of the Department. 
(f) PAPERWORK REDUCTION.—Subchapter I of chapter 
35 of title 44, United States Code shall not apply to this 
section. 
(g) DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary 
shall enter into a contract under subsection (a) for each 
medical facility of the Department by not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WHO 
SERVED IN CLASSIFIED MISSIONS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that veterans who experience combat-related mental health 
wounds should have immediate, appropriate, and consistent 
access to comprehensive mental health care. 
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(b) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 
38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following section: 
‘‘§ 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who 
served in classified missions 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS.—(1) The Sec-
retary shall establish standards and procedures to ensure 
that each covered veteran may access mental health care 
provided by the Secretary in a manner that fully accommo-
dates the obligation of the veteran to not improperly disclose 
classified information. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall disseminate guidance to em-
ployees of the Veterans Health Administration, including 
mental health professionals, on the standards and proce-
dures established under paragraph (1) and how to best en-
gage covered veterans during the course of mental health 
treatment with respect to classified information. 
‘‘(b) IDENTIFICATION.—In carrying out this section, 
the Secretary shall ensure that a veteran may elect to iden-
tify as a covered veteran on an appropriate form. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘classified information’ means any 
information or material that has been determined by 
an official of the United States pursuant to law, an 
Executive order, or regulation to require protection 
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against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of na-
tional security. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘covered veteran’ means a veteran 
who— 
‘‘(A) is enrolled in the health care system 
established under section 1705(a) of this title; 
‘‘(B) is seeking mental health treatment; 
and 
‘‘(C) in the course of serving in the Armed 
Forces, participated in a sensitive mission or 
served in a sensitive unit. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘sensitive mission’ means a mis-
sion of the Armed Forces that, at the time at which 
a covered veteran seeks treatment, is classified. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘sensitive unit’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 130b(c)(4) of title 10.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 
the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after 
the item relating to section 1720G the following new item: 
‘‘1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions.’’. 
SEC. 4. BOARD OF VETERANS’ APPEALS VIDEO HEARINGS. 
Section 7107 of title 38, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (d), by amending paragraph 
(1) to read as follows: 
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