SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF PEER SPECIALIST SUPPORT PRO-
GRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS. 
(a) EXPANSION.—Section 506 of the VA MISSION 
Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–182; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note) 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) 
as subsections (e) through (g); 
(2) in the heading of subsection (b), by striking 
‘‘TIMEFRAME’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘INITIAL
TIME-
FRAME’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘SELEC-
TION’’ and inserting ‘‘INITIAL SELECTION’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 
Secretary shall’’ and inserting ‘‘In establishing 
the program at initial locations, the Secretary 
shall’’; 
(4) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(d) TIMEFRAME FOR EXPANSION OF PROGRAM; SE-
LECTION OF ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) TIMEFRAME FOR EXPANSION.—The Sec-
retary shall make permanent and expand the pro-
gram to additional medical centers of the Depart-
ment as follows: 
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‘‘(A) As of the date of the enactment of 
the Veteran Peer Specialist Act of 2021, at 
each medical center participating in the pro-
gram on the day before such date of enactment. 
‘‘(B) During the five-year period following 
such date of enactment, at an additional 25 
medical centers per year until the program is 
carried out at each medical center of the De-
partment. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION OF ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS.— 
In selecting medical centers for the expansion of the 
program under paragraph (1)(B), until such time as 
each medical center of the Department is partici-
pating in the program by establishing not fewer than 
two peer specialists at the medical center, the Sec-
retary shall prioritize medical centers in the fol-
lowing areas: 
‘‘(A) Rural areas and other areas that are 
underserved by the Department. 
‘‘(B) Areas that are not in close proximity 
to an active duty military installation. 
‘‘(C) Areas representing different geo-
graphic locations, such as census tracts estab-
lished by the Bureau of the Census.’’; 
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(5) in subsection (e), as redesignated by para-
graph (1)— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘GENDER- 
SPECIFIC SERVICES’’ and inserting ‘‘CONSIDER-
ATIONS FOR HIRING PEER SPECIALISTS’’; 
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘location selected under subsection 
(c)’’ and inserting ‘‘medical center’’; and 
(C) by striking paragraph (2) and insert-
ing the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(2) female peer specialists are hired and made 
available to support female veterans who are treated 
at each medical center; and 
‘‘(3) to the extent practical, peer specialists are 
hired in demographic percentages that reflect the ra-
cial and ethnic demographic percentages of the over-
all veterans population.’’; and 
(6) by amending subsection (g), as redesignated 
by paragraph (1), to read as follows: 
‘‘(g) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) PERIODIC REPORTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of the Vet-
eran Peer Specialist Act of 2021, and annually 
thereafter for five years, the Secretary shall 
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submit to the Committees on Veterans Affairs 
of the House of Representatives and the Senate 
a report on the program, including the expan-
sion of the program under subsection (d)(1). 
‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—Each report under sub-
paragraph (A) shall include, with respect to the 
one-year period preceding the submission of the 
report, the following: 
‘‘(i) The findings and conclusions of 
the Secretary with respect to the program. 
‘‘(ii) An assessment of the benefits of 
the program to veterans and family mem-
bers of veterans. 
‘‘(iii) An assessment of the effective-
ness of peer specialists in engaging under 
subsection (f) with health care providers in 
the community and veterans served by 
such providers. 
‘‘(iv) The name and location of each 
medical center where new peer specialists 
were hired. 
‘‘(v) The number of new peer special-
ists hired at each medical center pursuant 
to this section and the total number of 
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peer specialists within the Department 
hired pursuant to this section. 
‘‘(vi) An assessment of any barriers 
confronting the recruitment, training, or 
retention of peer specialists. 
‘‘(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the Secretary determines that the program is 
being carried out at each medical center of the De-
partment, the Secretary shall submit to the Commit-
tees on Veterans Affairs of the House of Represent-
atives and the Senate a report notifying such com-
mittees of the determination.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out the amend-
ments made by this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2027. 
Æ 
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