Title: Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Prioritizing Veterans Access to Mental Health Care Act of 2017
This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to make a veteran seeking mental health care in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) entity eligible for such care if the veteran provides a written statement (which may be sent electronically or made in person or by fax) that the veteran seeks mental health care from the VA and has not received timely and adequate mental health care through a VA facility or health care provider.
The VA shall give health professional hiring priority to those health professionals for which there is the greatest need, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health care providers.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1881 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1881

   To expand eligibility for health care under the Veterans Access, 
  Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to include certain veterans 
          seeking mental health care, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 28, 2017

  Mrs. Ernst (for herself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Grassley, and Mr. Cornyn) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To expand eligibility for health care under the Veterans Access, 
  Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to include certain veterans 
          seeking mental health care, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Prioritizing Veterans Access to 
Mental Health Care Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN VETERANS SEEKING MENTAL 
              HEALTH CARE FOR HEALTH CARE FROM NON-DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS ENTITIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 101(b)(2) of the Veterans Access, Choice, 
and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 
note) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ``; or'' and 
        inserting a semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II)(dd), by striking the period 
        at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(E) provides a statement in writing that the 
                veteran seeks mental health care from the Department 
                and has not received timely and adequate mental health 
                care through a facility or health care provider of the 
                Department.''.
    (b) Submission of Statement in Writing.--
            (1) In general.--In providing for a statement in writing 
        under subparagraph (E) of section 101(b)(2) of the Veterans 
        Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-
        146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note), as added by subsection (a), the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop procedures for the 
        submission by veterans of such statement--
                    (A) electronically, through the primary Internet 
                website of the Department of Veterans Affairs that is 
                available to the public; and
                    (B) in person or by fax to the Non-VA Care 
                Communication Office of each medical facility of the 
                Department.
            (2) Components of statement.--The Secretary shall require 
        that any veteran that submits a statement in writing described 
        in paragraph (1) include the following:
                    (A) The earliest date that the Department provided 
                to the veteran for an appointment for the receipt of 
                mental health care through a facility or health care 
                provider of the Department, or, if no date was 
                provided, an indication that no appointment date was 
                provided.
                    (B) The earliest date of an appointment of the 
                veteran for the receipt of mental health care that was 
                offered by a non-Department health care provider, if 
                applicable.
                    (C) A certification by the veteran that the veteran 
                cannot reasonably wait for an appointment for mental 
                health care through a facility or health care provider 
                of the Department.
                    (D) Feedback by the veteran with respect to the 
                timeliness and adequacy of mental health care furnished 
                by the Department.
            (3) Receipt of statement.--Upon the receipt by the 
        Department of a statement in writing described in paragraph (1) 
        by a veteran, the Secretary shall provide a confirmation to the 
        veteran that the Secretary has received the statement in 
        writing--
                    (A) in the form of an immediate automated 
                confirmation, if the statement in writing was submitted 
                electronically; and
                    (B) in the form of an immediate written 
                confirmation, if the statement in writing was submitted 
                in person or by fax.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 101(q)(2)(A) of the Veterans 
Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 
U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended--
            (1) in clause (iii), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(v) eligible veterans described in 
                        subsection (b)(2)(E).''.

SEC. 3. PRIORITIZATION OF HIRING INCENTIVES TO ADDRESS NEED FOR HEALTH 
              PROFESSIONALS AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    In carrying out hiring incentives for health professionals at the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, including the Department of Veterans 
Affairs Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program under 
chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall give priority to those health professionals for which 
there is the greatest need in the Department, such as psychiatrists, 
psychologists, and other mental health care providers.

SEC. 4. SOURCE OF AMOUNTS.

    Such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act and the 
amendments made by this Act shall be derived from amounts appropriated 
under section 801 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability 
Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C. 1701 note).

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on 
the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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