Title: Improving Mental Health Care for Veterans Act of 2020
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Improving Mental Health Care for Veterans Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to complete the development of a clinical practice guideline or guidelines for the treatment of serious mental illness. Under the bill, such guidelines must address the treatment of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and persistent mood disorder (including bipolar disorder I and II).
The VA must establish the Serious Mental Illness Work Group with the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services to develop such clinical practice guideline or guidelines.
Finally, the VA must complete an assessment of the 2016 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Major Depressive Disorders to determine if an update is necessary.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3210 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3210

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to 
 develop a clinical practice guideline or guidelines for the treatment 
                       of serious mental illness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 16, 2020

Mr. Cassidy (for himself and Ms. Sinema) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to 
 develop a clinical practice guideline or guidelines for the treatment 
                       of serious mental illness.

    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 ``Improving Mental Health Care for 
Veterans Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND DEPARTMENT 
              OF DEFENSE OF CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR THE 
              TREATMENT OF SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, shall complete the development of a clinical 
practice guideline or guidelines for the treatment of serious mental 
illness, to include the following conditions:
            (1) Schizophrenia.
            (2) Schizoaffective disorder.
            (3) Persistent mood disorder, including bipolar disorder I 
        and II.
            (4) Any other mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder 
        resulting in serious functional impairment that substantially 
        interferes with major life activities as the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense 
        and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, considers 
        appropriate.
    (b) Matters Included in Guidelines.--The clinical practice 
guideline or guidelines developed under subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) Guidance contained in the 2016 Clinical Practice 
        Guidelines for the Management of Major Depressive Disorders of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of 
        Defense.
            (2) Guidance with respect to the treatment of patients with 
        a condition described in subsection (a).
            (3) A list of evidence-based therapies for the treatment of 
        conditions described in subsection (a).
            (4) An appropriate guideline for the administration of 
        pharmacological therapy, psychological or behavioral therapy, 
        or other therapy for the management of conditions described in 
        subsection (a).
    (c) Assessment of Existing Guidelines.--Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall complete an assessment of 
the 2016 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Major 
Depressive Disorders to determine whether an update to such guidelines 
is necessary.
    (d) Work Group.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the 
        Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services shall create a work group to develop the clinical 
        practice guideline or guidelines under subsection (a) to be 
        known as the ``Serious Mental Illness Work Group'' (in this 
        subsection referred to as the ``Work Group'').
            (2) Membership.--The Work Group created under paragraph (1) 
        shall be comprised of individuals that represent Federal 
        Government entities and non-Federal Government entities with 
        expertise in the areas covered by the Work Group, including the 
        following entities:
                    (A) Academic institutions that specialize in 
                research for the treatment of conditions described in 
                subsection (a).
                    (B) The Health Services Research and Development 
                Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
                    (C) The Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
                Mental Health and Substance Use of the Department of 
                Health and Human Services.
                    (D) The National Institute of Mental Health.
                    (E) The Indian Health Service.
                    (F) Relevant organizations with expertise in 
                researching, diagnosing, or treating conditions 
                described in subsection (a).
            (3) Relation to other work groups.--The Work Group shall be 
        created and conducted in the same manner as other work groups 
        for the development of clinical practice guidelines for the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.
    (e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to prevent the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the 
Secretary of Defense from considering all relevant evidence, as 
appropriate, in creating the clinical practice guideline or guidelines 
required under subsection (a) or from ensuring that the final clinical 
practice guideline or guidelines developed under such subsection and 
subsequently updated, as appropriate, remain applicable to the patient 
populations of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of 
Defense.
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