Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act
Bill: H.R.4233 | Sponsor: Rep. Murphy, Gregory (R-NC)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish counseling, including counseling through a Vet Center, to veterans or members of the Armed Forces who are pursuing a course of education using specified Department of Defense or VA educational assistance benefits.
Specifically, such counseling must be provided to veterans or members of the Armed Forces who are utilizing educational assistance benefits under the

To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish Vet Center 
readjustment counseling and related mental health services to veterans 
 and members of the Armed Forces using certain educational assistance 
                               benefits.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Student Veterans Counseling Centers 
Eligibility Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF VET CENTER SERVICES.

    (a) Veterans and Members Using Educational Assistance Benefits.--
Section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``clauses (i) through (vi)'' both places it 
        appears and inserting ``clauses (i) through (vii)'';
            (2) by striking ``in clause (vii)'' both places it appears 
        and inserting ``in clause (viii)'';
            (3) in subsection (a)(1)(C)--
                    (A) by redesignating clause (vii) as clause (viii); 
                and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (vi) the following 
                new clause:
            ``(vii) Any veteran or member of the Armed Forces pursuing 
        a course of education using covered educational assistance 
        benefits.''; and
            (4) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following 
        new paragraph:
            ``(6) The term `covered educational assistance benefits' 
        means educational assistance benefits provided pursuant to--
                    ``(A) chapters 30, 31, 32, or 33 of this title;
                    ``(B) chapters 1606 or 1607 of title 10;
                    ``(C) section 116 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans 
                Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-48; 
                38 U.S.C. 3001 note); or
                    ``(D) section 8006 of the American Rescue Plan Act 
                of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 38 U.S.C. 3001 note 
                prec.).''.
    (b) GAO Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report assessing--
            (1) the mental health needs of veterans pursuing a course 
        of education using covered educational assistance benefits (as 
        defined in section 1712A(h)(6) of title 38, United States Code, 
        as added by subsection (a)); and
            (2) the efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
        address such mental health needs.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 16, 2021.

            Attest:

                                             CHERYL L. JOHNSON,

                                                                 Clerk.