Title: To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to State and local entities to carry out peer-to-peer mental health programs.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the P.F.C. Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support program to make grants to eligible entities for peer-to-peer mental health programs for veterans.
"Eligible entity" means: (1) a nonprofit organization having historically served the mental health needs of veterans; (2) a congressionally chartered veteran service organization; or (3) a state, local, or tribal veteran service agency, director, or commissioner.
The VA shall establish an advisory committee to create appropriate program standards.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 897 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 897

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to State 
  and local entities to carry out peer-to-peer mental health programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2017

  Mr. Zeldin (for himself, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Suozzi, and Miss 
Rice of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to State 
  and local entities to carry out peer-to-peer mental health programs.

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

SECTION 1. P.F.C. JOSEPH P. DWYER PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish 
a grant program to be known as the ``P.F.C. Joseph P. Dwyer Peer 
Support Program'' under which the Secretary shall make grants to 
eligible entities for the purpose of establishing peer-to-peer mental 
health programs for veterans.
    (b) Eligible Entity Defined.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
entity'' means any of the following entities that submit to the 
Secretary an application containing such information and assurances as 
the Secretary may require:
            (1) A nonprofit organization having historically served 
        veterans mental health needs.
            (2) A congressionally chartered veteran service 
        organization.
            (3) A State, local, or tribal veteran service agency, 
        director, or commissioner.
    (c) Amount of Grant.--The recipient of a grant under this section 
shall receive a grant in an amount that does not exceed $250,000.
    (d) Use of Funds.--The recipient of a grant under this section 
shall use the grant funds to--
            (1) carry out a program that meets the standards developed 
        under subsection (e);
            (2) hire veterans to serve as peer specialists to host 
        group and individual meetings with veterans seeking nonclinical 
        support;
            (3) provide mental health support to veterans 24 hours each 
        day, seven days each week; and
            (4) hire staff to support the program.
    (e) Program Standards.--
            (1) Advisory commission.--The Secretary shall establish an 
        advisory committee for the purpose of creating appropriate 
        standards applicable to programs established using grants under 
        this section.
            (2) Standards.--The standards developed under paragraph (1) 
        shall include initial and continued training for veteran peer 
        volunteers, administrative staffing needs, and best practices 
        for addressing the needs of each veteran served.
    (f) Nonretention of Records.--The Secretary may not require the 
recipient of a grant under this section to maintain records on veterans 
seeking support or to report any personally identifying information 
directly or indirectly to the Secretary about such veterans.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $25,000,000 to carry out this section during the 3-year 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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