I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7964 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out education programs 
and peer support programs for family members and caregivers of veterans 
with mental health disorders. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 7, 2020 
Ms. FINKENAUER (for herself, Mr. CURTIS, and Mr. MCKINLEY) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
education programs and peer support programs for fam-
ily members and caregivers of veterans with mental 
health disorders. 
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 ‘‘Peer Support for Vet-
eran Families Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EDUCATION PROGRAM AND PEER SUPPORT PRO-
GRAM FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AND CARE-
GIVERS 
OF 
VETERANS 
WITH 
MENTAL 
HEALTH DISORDERS. 
(a) PROGRAMS.—Not later than 270 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall establish an education program (in this 
section referred to as the ‘‘education program’’) and a 
peer support program (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘peer support program’’) for the education and training 
of family members and caregivers of eligible veterans with 
mental health disorders. 
(b) EDUCATION PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Under the education pro-
gram, the Secretary shall provide a course of edu-
cation to family members and caregivers of eligible 
veterans on matters relating to coping with mental 
health disorders in veterans. 
(2) DURATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The education program 
shall be carried out during the four-year period 
beginning on the date of the commencement of 
the education program. 
(B) AUTHORITY
FOR
EXTENSION.—The 
Secretary may extend the duration of the edu-
cation program for an additional four years. 
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(3) LOCATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as required by 
subparagraph (D), the Secretary shall carry out 
the education program at the following facilities 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs: 
(i) Not less than 10 medical centers of 
the Department. 
(ii) Not less than 10 clinics of the De-
partment. 
(iii) Not less than 10 Vet Centers (as 
defined in section 1712A(h) of title 38, 
United States Code). 
(B) SOLICITATION OF APPLICATIONS.—In 
selecting locations for the education program, 
the Secretary shall solicit applications from eli-
gible facilities of the Department that are inter-
ested in carrying out the education program. 
(C) CONSIDERATIONS.—In selecting loca-
tions for the education program, the Secretary 
shall consider the feasibility and advisability of 
selecting locations in the following areas: 
(i) Rural areas. 
(ii) Areas that are not in close prox-
imity to an active duty installation. 
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(iii) Areas in different geographic lo-
cations. 
(D) EXPANSION OF LOCATIONS.—Not later 
than two years after the date of the commence-
ment of the education program, the Secretary 
shall expand the number of facilities at which 
the Secretary is carrying out the education pro-
gram to include the following: 
(i) Not less than 10 additional med-
ical centers of the Department. 
(ii) Not less than 10 additional clinics 
of the Department. 
(iii) Not less than 10 additional Vet 
Centers. 
(4) CONTRACTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out the 
education program, the Secretary shall enter 
into contracts with qualified entities described 
in subparagraph (B) to offer the course of edu-
cation described in paragraph (5) to family 
members and caregivers of eligible veterans and 
covered veterans. 
(B) QUALIFIED
ENTITY
DESCRIBED.—A 
qualified entity described in this subparagraph 
is a non-profit entity with experience in mental 
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health education and outreach, including work 
with children, teens, and young adults, that— 
(i) uses high quality, relevant, and 
age-appropriate information in educational 
programming, materials, and coursework, 
including such programming, materials, 
and coursework for children, teens, and 
young adults; and 
(ii) works with agencies, departments, 
nonprofit mental health organizations, 
early childhood educators, and mental 
health providers to develop educational 
programming, materials, and coursework. 
(C) PRIORITY.—In entering into contracts 
under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give 
priority to qualified entities that have dem-
onstrated cultural competence in serving mili-
tary and veteran populations, and, to the extent 
practicable, use internet technology for the de-
livery of course content in an effort to expand 
the availability of support services, especially in 
rural areas. 
(5) ELEMENTS.—The course of education de-
scribed in this paragraph shall consist of not less 
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than 10 weeks of education and shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(A) General education on different mental 
health disorders, including information to im-
prove understanding of the experiences of indi-
viduals suffering from those disorders. 
(B) Techniques for handling crisis situa-
tions and administering mental health first aid 
to individuals suffering from mental health dis-
orders. 
(C) Techniques for coping with the stress 
of living with someone with a mental health dis-
order. 
(D) Information on additional services 
available for family members and caregivers 
through the Department or community organi-
zations and providers related to mental health 
disorders. 
(E) Such other matters as the Secretary 
considers appropriate. 
(6) INSTRUCTORS.— 
(A) TRAINING.—Each instructor of the 
course of education described in paragraph (5) 
shall maintain a level of proficiency in the 
course of education as determined by the Sec-
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retary, and shall submit proof of that level of 
proficiency to the Secretary at such time and in 
such manner as the Secretary determines ap-
propriate. 
(B) INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COMPLETED 
THE
COURSE
AS
INSTRUCTORS.—Commencing 
as of the date that is two years after the date 
of the commencement of the education pro-
gram, any individual who has successfully com-
pleted the course of education described in 
paragraph (5) and has successfully completed 
such additional training as is required for in-
structors pursuant to subparagraph (A) may 
act as an instructor in the course of education. 
(c) PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the peer support pro-
gram, the Secretary shall provide peer support to 
family members and caregivers of eligible veterans 
on matters relating to coping with mental health dis-
orders in veterans. 
(2) LOCATIONS.—The Secretary shall provide 
peer support under the peer support program at 
each location at which the Secretary provides edu-
cation under the education program. 
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(3) ELEMENTS.—Peer support under the peer 
support program shall consist of meetings in group 
settings between a peer support coordinator under 
paragraph (4) and family members and caregivers of 
eligible veterans on matters relating to coping with 
mental health disorders in veterans. At each loca-
tion, those meetings shall be conducted not less 
often than twice each calendar quarter. 
(4) PEER SUPPORT COORDINATOR.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 
through the director of each participating facil-
ity, may select an individual who has success-
fully completed the course of education de-
scribed in subsection (b)(5) to serve as a peer 
support coordinator for each such facility to 
carry out the peer support program. 
(B) PROFICIENCY
OF
INSTRUCTORS.— 
Each peer support coordinator shall maintain a 
level of proficiency in peer support as deter-
mined by the Secretary, and shall submit proof 
of that level of proficiency to the Secretary at 
such time and in such manner as the Secretary 
determines appropriate. 
(d) SURVEYS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct 
a comprehensive survey of the satisfaction of individ-
uals that have participated in the course of edu-
cation described in subsection (b)(5) and individuals 
that have participated in the peer support program 
that includes the following: 
(A) The general satisfaction of those indi-
viduals with the education and assistance pro-
vided in the education program and the peer 
support program. 
(B) The perceived effectiveness of the edu-
cation program and the peer support program 
in providing education and assistance that is 
useful for those individuals. 
(C) The applicability of the education pro-
gram and the peer support program to the 
issues faced by those individuals. 
(D) Such other matters as the Secretary 
considers appropriate. 
(E) A representative sample of the infor-
mation required by subparagraphs (A) through 
(D) from each Veterans Integrated Service Net-
work that is participating in the education pro-
gram and the peer support program. 
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(2) COMPILATION OF INFORMATION.—The in-
formation compiled as a result of the surveys re-
quired by paragraph (1) shall be included in the an-
nual report required by subsection (e)(1). 
(e) REPORTS.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the commencement of the edu-
cation program and not later than September 
30 each year thereafter until 2024, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Represent-
atives a report on the education program and 
the peer support program. 
(B) ELEMENTS.—Each report submitted 
under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(i) The number of individuals that 
participated in the course of education de-
scribed in subsection (b)(5) during the 
year preceding the submission of the re-
port. 
(ii) The number of individuals that 
participated in the peer support program 
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during the year preceding the submission 
of the report. 
(iii) A detailed analysis of the surveys 
conducted under subsection (d) with re-
spect to the individuals described in clause 
(i) and (ii). 
(iv) The degree to which veterans and 
family members and caregivers of veterans 
are aware of the eligibility requirements 
for enrollment in the education program 
and the peer support program. 
(v) Any plans for expansion of the 
education program and the peer support 
program. 
(vi) The interim findings and conclu-
sions of the Secretary with respect to the 
success of the education program and the 
peer support program. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the completion of the education program, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report on the feasibility and 
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advisability of continuing the education pro-
gram and the peer support program. 
(B) ELEMENTS.—The report submitted 
under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(i) A detailed analysis of the surveys 
conducted under subsection (d). 
(ii) The feasibility and advisability of 
continuing the education program without 
entering into contracts for the course of 
education described in subsection (b)(5) 
and instead using peer support coordina-
tors selected under subsection (c)(4) as in-
structors of the course of education. 
(iii) The feasibility and advisability of 
expanding the education program and the 
peer support program. 
(f) PERMISSION REQUIRED.—A caregiver or family 
caregiver may not participate in the education program 
or the peer support program without the permission of the 
eligible veteran for whom the caregiver or family caregiver 
provides care. 
(g) MONITORING OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall 
select mental health care providers of the Department to 
monitor the progress of the instruction provided under the 
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