A bill to improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to members of the Armed Forces and veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to survivors of members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2963
Sponsor: Sen. Bond, Christopher S. [R-MO]
Introduced: 2008-05-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Afghanistan
Armed forces reserves
Brain
Cemeteries and funerals
Counseling
Department of Veterans Affairs
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Families
Family services
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Grants-in-aid
Head injuries
Health
Higher education
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Labor and Employment
Medical education
Mental health services
Middle East and North Africa
Military dependents
Military operations
Military pensions
National Guard
Nonprofit organizations
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Recruiting of employees
Scholarships
Social Welfare
South Asia
Suicide
Survivors' benefits
Trauma care
Veterans' benefits
Veterans' medical care
Veterans' rehabilitation
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2008-05-01
text: 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide scholarships to individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers (centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans) in order to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service in Vet Centers. Conditions the scholarship on agreeing to serve in such a capacity for whatever period the Secretary specifies in the agreement.
 
Makes any Armed Forces member who serves in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom eligible for readjustment counseling and related mental health services through Vet Centers regardless of whether the member is on active duty at the time of receipt of counseling and services.
 
Directs the Secretary, on receipt of a request for counseling from an individual who has been discharged or released from active service, to: (1) provide referrals to assist the individual in obtaining mental health care and services outside the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (2) if pertinent, advise such individual of the individual's rights to apply for review of the discharge or release.
 
Treats the suicide of a former member that occurs within two years after separation or retirement, if the member had a medical history of a combat-related mental health condition, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), as a death in line of duty for purposes of the survivors' eligibility to burial benefits and benefits under the Survivor Benefit Plan, laws administered by the Secretary, and the Social Security Act.
 
Directs the Secretary of Defense to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces and deceased veterans through the survivors' peers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-05-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2008-05-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3715-3716)
action_date: 2008-05-01
text: Introduced in Senate