I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8068 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain improvements 
relating to mental health and suicide prevention outreach to minority 
veterans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 18, 2020 
Ms. BROWNLEY of California (for herself, Mr. COLE, and Ms. TORRES SMALL 
of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain 
improvements relating to mental health and suicide pre-
vention outreach to minority veterans and American In-
dian and Alaska Native 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 ‘‘American Indian and 
Alaska Native Veterans Mental Health Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION OUT-
REACH TO MINORITY VETERANS AND AMER-
ICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE VET-
ERANS. 
(a) STAFFING REQUIREMENT.—Beginning not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each 
medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs has 
no fewer than one full-time employee whose responsibility 
is serving as a minority veteran coordinator. 
(b) TRAINING.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Director of the Office of Mental Health 
and Suicide Prevention of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, shall ensure that all minority veteran coordinators 
receive training in delivery of culturally appropriate men-
tal health and suicide prevention services to American In-
dian and Alaska Native veterans, especially with respect 
to the identified populations and tribes within the coordi-
nators’ catchment areas. 
(c) COORDINATION WITH SUICIDE PREVENTION CO-
ORDINATORS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the Director of the Office of Mental Health and Sui-
cide Prevention, shall ensure that the suicide prevention 
coordinator and minority veteran coordinator of each med-
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ical center of the Department have developed and dissemi-
nated to the director of the medical center a written plan 
for conducting mental health and suicide prevention out-
reach to all tribes and urban Indian health organizations 
within the catchment area of the medical center. Each 
such plan shall include for each tribe covered by the 
plan— 
(1) contact information for tribal leadership 
and the tribal health facility or Indian Health Serv-
ice facility serving that tribe; 
(2) a schedule for and list of outreach plans 
(including addressing any barriers to accessing De-
partment mental health care); and 
(3) documentation of any conversation with 
tribal leaders that may guide culturally appropriate 
delivery of mental health care to American Indian or 
Alaska Native veterans. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on outreach efforts to minority vet-
erans and American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. 
Such report shall include each of the following: 
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