Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-8247
Sponsor: Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]
Introduced: 2020-09-14 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Comprehensive health care
Congressional oversight
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Government information and archives
Health care coverage and access
Health information and medical records
Health promotion and preventive care
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Medical education
Mental health
Military personnel and dependents
Outdoor recreation
Public contracts and procurement
Transportation programs funding
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Veterans' medical care
Veterans' pensions and compensation
Women's employment

Summary:
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: 

Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act of 2020 or the Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020

 
This bill implements programs, policies, and reports related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition assistance, suicide care, mental health education and treatment, health care, and women veteran care.
 
Among other requirements, the VA must
 
 
carry out a pilot program on information sharing between the VA and designated persons regarding the assistance and benefits available to veterans;
 
furnish or pay for emergent suicide care, including transportation costs, at a VA or non-VA facility for certain veterans who are in an acute suicidal crisis;
 
establish a program for the education and training of caregivers and family members of veterans with mental health disorders;
 
establish the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans to make recommendations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for certain veterans;
 
seek to contact certain veterans who have not recently received care to encourage them to receive comprehensive physical, mental health, eye, and audiological examinations;
 
provide VA police officers with annual training on the prevention of suicide among the population it serves;
 
complete an analysis and report on its programs that provide assistance to women veterans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the needs of such women; and
 
annually report on the use of VA health care by women veterans.
 

action_date: 2020-09-23
text: 

Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act of 2020 or the Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020

 
This bill implements programs, policies, and reports related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition assistance, suicide care, mental health education and treatment, health care, and women veteran care.
 
Among other requirements, the VA must
 
 
carry out a pilot program on information sharing between the VA and designated persons regarding the assistance and benefits available to veterans;
 
furnish, reimburse, or pay for emergent suicide care, including transportation costs, at a VA or non-VA facility for certain veterans who are in an acute suicidal crisis;
 
establish a program for the education and training of caregivers and family members of veterans with mental health disorders;
 
establish the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans to make recommendations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for certain veterans;
 
seek to contact certain veterans who have not recently received care to encourage them to receive comprehensive physical, mental health, eye, and audiological examinations;
 
provide VA police officers with annual training on the prevention of suicide among the population it serves;
 
complete an analysis and report on its programs that provide assistance to women veterans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the needs of such women; and
 
annually report on the use of VA health care by women veterans.
 

action_date: 2020-11-10
text: 

Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act of 2020 or the Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020

 
This bill implements programs, policies, and reports related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition assistance, suicide care, mental health education and treatment, health care, and women veteran care.
 
Among other requirements, the VA must
 
 
carry out a pilot program on information sharing between the VA and designated persons regarding the assistance and benefits available to veterans;
 
furnish, reimburse, or pay for emergent suicide care, including transportation costs, at a VA or non-VA facility for certain veterans who are in an acute suicidal crisis;
 
establish a program for the education and training of caregivers and family members of veterans with mental health disorders;
 
establish the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans to make recommendations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for certain veterans;
 
seek to contact certain veterans who have not recently received care to encourage them to receive comprehensive physical, mental health, eye, and audiological examinations;
 
provide VA police officers with annual training on the prevention of suicide among the population it serves;
 
complete an analysis and report on its programs that provide assistance to women veterans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the needs of such women; and
 
annually report on the use of VA health care by women veterans.
 

action_date: 2020-12-05
text: 

Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act of 2020 or the Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020

 
This bill implements programs, policies, and reports related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition assistance, suicide care, mental health education and treatment, health care, and women veteran care. 
 
(Sec. 101) This section requires the VA to carry out a two-year pilot program on information sharing between the VA and designated persons regarding the assistance and benefits available to veterans. 
 
(Sec. 102) The VA must annually report (for a period of five years) on its Solid Start program, which is an outreach program for those in their first year of separation from the military. The report must exclude any personally identifiable information regarding a veteran.
 
(Sec. 201) The VA must furnish or pay for emergent suicide care, including transportation costs, at a VA or non-VA facility for certain veterans. The bill requires the VA to ensure certain notification procedures occur in relation to veterans receiving emergent suicide care. 
 
The VA must determine the eligibility of individuals receiving emergent suicide care for other VA programs and benefits. Additionally, the VA must make referrals, as appropriate, for care following the period of emergent suicide care.
 
(Sec. 202) The VA must establish a four-year education program for the education and training of caregivers and family members of veterans with mental health disorders.
 
(Sec. 203) This section requires the VA to establish the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans to report on and make recommendations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for veterans. 
 
(Sec. 204) The VA must seek to contact covered veterans to encourage them to receive comprehensive physical, mental health, eye, and audiological examinations. A covered veteran is a veteran who is enrolled in the VA health care system and has not received health care furnished or paid for by the VA in the past two years.
 
Under the bill, if a covered veteran elects to receive more than one of the comprehensive examinations at a VA health care facility, the VA shall seek to furnish all such examinations on the same day. A covered veteran may also receive an examination from another specified health care provider.
 
The bill provides that the VA may pay for a rural covered veteran to travel to a health care facility to receive a comprehensive examination.
 
The VA shall seek to enter into agreements with nonprofit organizations to provide shuttle service to rural covered veterans for such examinations.
 
(Sec. 205) The VA must provide its police officers with annual training on the prevention of suicide among the population it serves. Each police force of a VA facility must develop a plan to enter into partnerships with local community mental health organizations and experts, local community veterans organizations, local community criminal justice organizations and experts, and local police departments.
 
(Sec. 301) The VA must complete an analysis and report on its programs that provide assistance to women veterans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the needs of such women.
 
(Sec. 302) The VA must annually report on the use of VA health care by women veterans. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-12-05
text: Became Public Law No: 116-214.
action_date: 2020-12-05
text: Became Public Law No: 116-214.
action_date: 2020-12-05
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2020-12-05
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2020-11-24
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2020-11-24
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2020-11-12
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2020-11-10
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6655)
action_date: 2020-11-10
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S6655)
action_date: 2020-09-24
text: Received in the Senate, read twice.
action_date: 2020-09-23
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2020-09-23
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4763-4767)
action_date: 2020-09-23
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H4763-4767)
action_date: 2020-09-23
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8247.
action_date: 2020-09-23
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4763-4770)
action_date: 2020-09-23
text: Mr. Takano moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2020-09-17
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2020-09-17
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2020-09-17
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2020-09-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-09-14
text: Introduced in House

Enacted as: number: 116-214