Title: Expanding the Families of Veterans Access to Mental Health Services Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Expanding the Families of Veterans Access to Mental Health Services Act
The bill expands eligibility for readjustment counseling and related mental health services, including through a Vet Center, to family members of a veteran or member of the Armed Forces who died by suicide.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2817 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2817

    To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish readjustment 
  counseling and related mental health services to family members of 
members of the Armed Forces or veterans who died by suicide, and other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 23, 2021

  Mr. Tillis introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish readjustment 
  counseling and related mental health services to family members of 
members of the Armed Forces or veterans who died by suicide, and other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Expanding the Families of Veterans 
Access to Mental Health Services Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF 
              MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS WHO DIED BY 
              SUICIDE.

    Section 1712A(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii)--
                    (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in subclause (II), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subclause:
                    ``(III) in the case of a veteran or member who died 
                by suicide, to the degree that counseling furnished to 
                such individual is found to aid in coping with the 
                effects of such suicide.'';
            (2) in subparagraph (B)(i)(II)--
                    (A) in item (aa), by striking ``or'';
                    (B) in item (bb), by striking the period at the end 
                and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new item:
                    ``(cc) coping with the effects of a suicide 
                described in subclause (III) of such clause.''; and
            (3) in subparagraph (C)(vii)--
                    (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``or'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subclause (II), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subclause:
                    ``(III) veteran or member of the Armed Forces who 
                died by suicide.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by section 2 shall apply with respect to family 
members of a member of the Armed Forces or veteran who died by suicide 
before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>