Title: Building Supportive Networks for Women Veterans Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Building Supportive Networks for Women Veterans Act
This bill makes permanent the requirement for the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out, through the Readjustment Counseling Service of the Veterans Health Administration, a program to provide reintegration and readjustment services in group retreat settings to women veterans who are recently separated from service after a prolonged deployment. (Currently, such program is required as a pilot program under the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010.)

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 91 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 91

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot 
  program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly 
              separated from service in the Armed Forces.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2017

Ms. Brownley of California (for herself, Mr. Takano, and Ms. Kuster of 
New Hampshire) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot 
  program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly 
              separated from service in the Armed Forces.

    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 ``Building Supportive Networks for 
Women Veterans Act''.

SEC. 2. COUNSELING IN RETREAT SETTINGS FOR WOMEN VETERANS NEWLY 
              SEPARATED FROM SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Permanent Program.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States 
        Code, is amended by inserting after section 1712C the following 
        new section:
``Sec. 1712D. Counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly 
              separated
    ``(a) Program.--(1) Commencing on January 1, 2018, the Secretary 
shall carry out, through the Readjustment Counseling Service of the 
Veterans Health Administration, a program to provide reintegration and 
readjustment services described in subsection (b) in group retreat 
settings to women veterans who are recently separated from service in 
the Armed Forces after a prolonged deployment.
    ``(2) The participation of a veteran in the program under paragraph 
(1) shall be at the election of the veteran.
    ``(b) Covered Services.--The services provided to a woman veteran 
under the program under subsection (a)(1) shall include the following:
            ``(1) Information on reintegration into the family, 
        employment, and community of the veteran.
            ``(2) Financial counseling.
            ``(3) Occupational counseling.
            ``(4) Information and counseling on stress reduction.
            ``(5) Information and counseling on conflict resolution.
            ``(6) Such other information and counseling as the 
        Secretary considers appropriate to assist the veteran in 
        reintegration into the family, employment, and community of the 
        veteran.
    ``(c) Biennial Reports.--Not later than December 31, 2018, and each 
even-numbered year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate a report on the program under subsection (a)(1).''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section 1712C the following new item:

``1712D. Counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly 
                            separated.''.
    (b) Conforming Repeal.--Effective December 31, 2017, section 203 of 
the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 (38 
U.S.C. 1712A note) is repealed.
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