I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2689 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program for 
the provision of readjustment and mental health services to veterans 
who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Free-
dom, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 12, 2007 
Mr. RODRIGUEZ (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. SIRES, and Mr. PEARCE) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 
a program for the provision of readjustment and mental 
health services to veterans who served in Operation Iraqi 
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. PROGRAM ON PROVISION OF READJUSTMENT 
AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO 
VETERANS 
WHO 
SERVED 
IN 
OPERATION 
IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING 
FREEDOM. 
(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall establish a program to provide— 
(1) to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
Operation Enduring Freedom, particularly veterans 
who served in such operations while in the National 
Guard and the Reserves— 
(A) peer outreach services; 
(B) peer support services; 
(C) readjustment counseling and services 
described in section 1712A of title 38, United 
States Code; and 
(D) mental health services; and 
(2) to members of the immediate family of such 
a veteran, during the three-year period beginning on 
the date of the return of such veteran from deploy-
ment in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 
Enduring Freedom, education, support, counseling, 
and mental health services to assist in— 
(A) the readjustment of such veteran to ci-
vilian life; 
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(B) in the case such veteran has an injury 
or illness incurred during such deployment, the 
recovery of such veteran; and 
(C) the readjustment of the family fol-
lowing the return of such veteran. 
(b) 
CONTRACTS
WITH
COMMUNITY
MENTAL 
HEALTH CENTERS AND QUALIFIED ENTITIES FOR PRO-
VISION OF SERVICES.—In carrying out the program re-
quired by subsection (a), the Secretary shall contract with 
community mental health centers and other qualified enti-
ties to provide the services required by such subsection 
in areas the Secretary determines are not adequately 
served by other health care facilities of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs. Such contracts shall require each con-
tracting community health center or entity— 
(1) to the extent practicable, to employ veterans 
trained under subsection (c); 
(2) to the extent practicable, to use telehealth 
services for the delivery of services required by sub-
section (a); 
(3) to participate in the training program con-
ducted in accordance with subsection (d); 
(4) to comply with applicable protocols of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs before incurring any 
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liability on behalf of the Department for the provi-
sion of the services required by subsection (a); 
(5) to submit annual reports to the Secretary 
containing, with respect to the program required by 
subsection (a) and for the last full calendar year 
ending before the submission of such report— 
(A) the number of the veterans served, vet-
erans diagnosed, and courses of treatment pro-
vided to veterans as part of the program re-
quired by subsection (a); and 
(B) demographic information for such 
services, diagnoses, and courses of treatment; 
(6) for each veteran for whom a community 
mental health center or other qualified entity pro-
vides mental health services under such contract, to 
provide the Department of Veterans Affairs with 
such clinical summary information as the Secretary 
shall require; and 
(7) to meet such other requirements as the Sec-
retary shall require. 
(c) TRAINING OF VETERANS FOR THE PROVISION OF 
PEER-OUTREACH
AND PEER-SUPPORT SERVICES.—In 
carrying out the program required by subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall contract with a national not-for-profit 
mental health organization to carry out a national pro-
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gram of training for veterans described in subsection (a) 
to provide the services described in subparagraphs (A) and 
(B) of paragraph (1) of such subsection. 
(d) TRAINING OF CLINICIANS FOR PROVISION OF 
SERVICES.—The Secretary shall conduct a training pro-
gram for clinicians of community mental health centers 
or entities that have contracts with the Secretary under 
subsection (b) to ensure that such clinicians can provide 
the services required by subsection (a) in a manner that— 
(1) recognizes factors that are unique to the ex-
perience of veterans who served on active duty in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
Freedom (including their combat and military train-
ing experiences); and 
(2) utilizes best practices and technologies. 
(e) REPORTS REQUIRED.— 
(1) INITIAL REPORT ON PLAN FOR IMPLEMEN-
TATION.—Not later than 45 days after the date of 
the enactment 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 Representatives a report containing the 
plans of the Secretary to implement the program re-
quired by subsection (a). 
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