Title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish free and comprehensive mental health care to former members of the Armed Services, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to furnish free comprehensive mental health care to any former member of the Armed Forces, including reservists. Additionally, the bill makes any former member of the Armed Forces, including reservists, eligible for readjustment counseling and related mental health services.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5027 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5027

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to furnish free and comprehensive mental health care 
    to former members of the Armed Services, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 8, 2019

  Mr. Suozzi introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to furnish free and comprehensive mental health care 
    to former members of the Armed Services, 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. FREE AND COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1720I of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 1720I. Comprehensive mental health care for former members of 
              the Armed Forces
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall furnish comprehensive mental 
health care at no cost to any former member of the Armed Forces.
    ``(b) Former Members of the Armed Forces.--In this section, the 
term `former member of the Armed Forces' includes the following:
            ``(1) A veteran described in section 101(2) of this title.
            ``(2) An individual not described in paragraph (1) who--
                    ``(A) served as a member of the Armed Forces, 
                including the reserve components thereof; and
                    ``(B) was discharged or released from such service 
                without regard to--
                            ``(i) the period of active duty service of 
                        the individual; or
                            ``(ii) the character of discharge or 
                        release of the individual.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
item relating to section 1720I and inserting the following:

``1720I. Comprehensive mental health care for former members of the 
                            Armed Forces.''.
    (c) Expansion of Readjustment Counseling and Related Mental Health 
Services.--Section 1712A(a)(1)(C) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new clause:
            ``(vi) Any former member of the Armed Forces described in 
        section 1720I(b) of this title.''.
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