Marriage and Family Therapists for Veterans Act

Bill: 113-hr-5398
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-52]
Introduced: 2014-08-01
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Department of Veterans Affairs

Family services

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Licensing and registrations

Marriage and family status

Mental health

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2014-09-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-08-01
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Marriage and Family Therapists for Veterans Act - Revises the eligibility criteria for appointment to a marriage and family therapist position with the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to require a person: (1) to hold a master's degree in marriage and family therapy, or a comparable degree in mental health, from an institution that is regionally accredited or approved by the VA Secretary (currently, approved by the Secretary); and (2) to have passed the Association of Marital and Family Therapy regulatory board examination in marital and family therapy or an examination for a marriage and family therapy license given by a state board of behavioral sciences (or its equivalent).</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5398 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 1, 2014 Mr. Peters of California (for himself, Mr. Gibson , and Mr. Takano ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for additional qualification requirements for individuals appointed to marriage and family therapist positions in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Marriage and Family Therapists for Veterans Act . 2. Additional qualification requirements for marriage and family therapists of the Department of Veterans Affairs (a) In general Section 7402(b)(10) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)— (A) by inserting that is regionally accredited or before approved ; and (B) by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (C) have passed— (i) the Association of Marital and Family Therapy regulatory board examination in marital and family therapy; or (ii) an examination for a marriage and family therapy license given by a State board of behavioral sciences or its equivalent. . (b) Effective date The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to the appointment of an individual to a marriage and family therapist position on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.