Title: Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act
This bill makes veterans who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for any mental illness through the Department of Veterans Affairs, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the mental illness is attributable to such service.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5314 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5314

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited 
eligibility for health care for mental illnesses for veterans of combat 
         service during certain periods of hostilities and war.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 15, 2018

 Mr. Cartwright (for himself, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Neal, Mr. Peters, Ms. 
 Eshoo, Mr. Deutch, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Kilmer, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson 
of Texas, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Rush, Mr. Ryan of 
 Ohio, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. 
   O'Rourke, Mr. Heck, and Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited 
eligibility for health care for mental illnesses for veterans of combat 
         service during certain periods of hostilities and war.

    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 ``Veterans Mental Health Accessibility 
Act''.

SEC. 2. UNLIMITED ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTH CARE FOR MENTAL ILLNESSES FOR 
              VETERANS OF COMBAT SERVICE DURING CERTAIN PERIODS OF 
              HOSTILITIES AND WAR.

    (a) Eligibility.--Section 1710(e)(1) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
    ``(G) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3), a veteran who served 
on active duty in a theater of combat operations (as determined by the 
Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of Defense) during World 
War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam Era, the Persian Gulf War, 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or any other 
period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or in combat against a 
hostile force during a period of hostilities (as defined in section 
1712A(a)(2)(B) of this title), is eligible for hospital care, medical 
services, and nursing home care under subsection (a)(2)(F) for any 
mental illness, notwithstanding that there is insufficient medical 
evidence to conclude that such illness is attributable to such 
service.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subparagraph (G) of section 1710(e)(1) of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply 
with respect to hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care 
provided on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>