Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act

Bill: 114-hr-2915
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Introduced: 2015-06-25
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Health promotion and preventive care

Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information

Mental health

Military education and training

Military operations and strategy

Veterans' medical care

Women's health
Latest action: action_date: 2016-02-10
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-06-25
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify: (1) VA mental health care and suicide prevention programs that are most effective for women veterans, and (2) such programs with the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans.</p>

action_date: 2015-12-03
action_desc: Reported to House with amendment(s)
text: <p><strong>Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act</strong></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify: (1) VA mental health care and suicide prevention programs that are most effective for women veterans, and (2) those programs with the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans.</p> <p>(Sec. 3) It is the sense of Congress that veterans who experience combat-related mental health wounds should have immediate and consistent access to comprehensive mental health care. </p> <p> The VA shall: </p> <ul> <li> establish standards and procedures to ensure that each covered veteran may access VA mental health care in a manner that fully accommodates the veteran's obligation to not improperly disclose classified information; and </li> <li> disseminate guidance to Veterans Health Administration employees, including mental health professionals, regarding these standards and procedures. </li> </ul> <p> &quot;Covered veteran&quot; means a veteran who: (1) is enrolled in the VA health care system; (2) is seeking mental health treatment; and (3) in the course of serving in the Armed Forces participated in a sensitive (classified) mission or served in a sensitive unit primarily involved in training for the conduct of, or conducting, special activities or classified missions.</p>

action_date: 2016-02-09
action_desc: Passed House amended
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on December 3, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)</p> <p><strong>Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act</strong></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify: (1) VA mental health care and suicide prevention programs that are most effective for women veterans, and (2) those programs with the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans.</p> <p>(Sec. 3) It is the sense of Congress that veterans who experience combat-related mental health wounds should have immediate and consistent access to comprehensive mental health care. </p> <p> The VA shall: </p> <ul> <li> establish standards and procedures to ensure that each covered veteran may access VA mental health care in a manner that fully accommodates the veteran's obligation to not improperly disclose classified information; and </li> <li> disseminate guidance to Veterans Health Administration employees, including mental health professionals, regarding these standards and procedures. </li> </ul> <p> &quot;Covered veteran&quot; means a veteran who: (1) is enrolled in the VA health care system; (2) is seeking mental health treatment; and (3) in the course of serving in the Armed Forces participated in a sensitive (classified) mission or served in a sensitive unit primarily involved in training for the conduct of, or conducting, special activities or classified missions.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2915 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 25, 2015 Ms. Brownley of California 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 identify mental health care and suicide prevention programs and metrics that are effective in treating women veterans as part of the evaluation of such programs by the Secretary.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act . 2. Specific consideration of women veterans in evaluation of Department of Veterans Affairs mental health care and suicide prevention programs Section 1709B(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the semicolon the following: , including specific metrics applicable to women ; (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking and at the end; (3) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (F) identify the mental health care and suicide prevention programs conducted by the Secretary that are most effective for women veterans and such programs with the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans. .

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 278 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2915 [Report No. 114–365] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 25, 2015 Ms. Brownley of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs December 3, 2015 Additional sponsors: Ms. Jackson Lee , Mr. Conyers , Ms. Frankel of Florida , Mr. Honda , Mr. Grijalva , Mr. Gibson , Mr. Jones , Mr. Langevin , Mr. Coffman , Ms. Kuster , Mr. Kilmer , Ms. Granger , Mr. McGovern , Ms. Lofgren , Ms. Matsui , Ms. McSally , Mr. Lynch , Mr. Ashford , Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California , Mr. King of New York , and Mr. Cleaver December 3, 2015 Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 25, 2015 A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to identify mental health care and suicide prevention programs and metrics that are effective in treating women veterans as part of the evaluation of such programs by the Secretary.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act . 2. Specific consideration of women veterans in evaluation of Department of Veterans Affairs mental health care and suicide prevention programs Section 1709B(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the semicolon the following: , including specific metrics applicable to women ; (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking and at the end; (3) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (F) identify the mental health care and suicide prevention programs conducted by the Secretary that are most effective for women veterans and such programs with the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans. . 3. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that veterans who experience combat-related mental health wounds should have immediate, appropriate, and consistent access to comprehensive mental health care. (b) In general Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following section: 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions (a) Establishment of standards (1) The Secretary shall establish standards and procedures to ensure that each covered veteran may access mental health care provided by the Secretary in a manner that fully accommodates the obligation of the veteran to not improperly disclose classified information. (2) The Secretary shall disseminate guidance to employees of the Veterans Health Administration, including mental health professionals, on the standards and procedures established under paragraph (1) and how to best engage covered veterans during the course of mental health treatment with respect to classified information. (b) Identification In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall ensure that a veteran may elect to identify as a covered veteran on an appropriate form. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term classified information means any information or material that has been determined by an official of the United States pursuant to law, an Executive order, or regulation to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national security. (2) The term covered veteran means a veteran who— (A) is enrolled in the health care system established under section 1705(a) of this title; (B) is seeking mental health treatment; and (C) in the course of serving in the Armed Forces, participated in a sensitive mission or served in a sensitive unit. (3) The term sensitive mission means a mission of the Armed Forces that, at the time at which a covered veteran seeks treatment, is classified. (4) The term sensitive unit has the meaning given that term in section 130b(c)(4) of title 10. . (c) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section 1720G the following new item: 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions. .

Amend the title so as to read: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to identify mental health care and suicide prevention programs and metrics that are effective in treating women veterans as part of the evaluation of such programs by the Secretary, and for other purposes. .

December 3, 2015 Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: IB 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 2915 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to identify mental health care and suicide prevention programs and metrics that are effective in treating women veterans as part of the evaluation of such programs by the Secretary, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act . 2. Specific consideration of women veterans in evaluation of Department of Veterans Affairs mental health care and suicide prevention programs Section 1709B(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the semicolon the following: , including specific metrics applicable to women ; (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking and at the end; (3) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (F) identify the mental health care and suicide prevention programs conducted by the Secretary that are most effective for women veterans and such programs with the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans. . 3. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that veterans who experience combat-related mental health wounds should have immediate, appropriate, and consistent access to comprehensive mental health care. (b) In general Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following section: 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions (a) Establishment of standards (1) The Secretary shall establish standards and procedures to ensure that each covered veteran may access mental health care provided by the Secretary in a manner that fully accommodates the obligation of the veteran to not improperly disclose classified information. (2) The Secretary shall disseminate guidance to employees of the Veterans Health Administration, including mental health professionals, on the standards and procedures established under paragraph (1) and how to best engage covered veterans during the course of mental health treatment with respect to classified information. (b) Identification In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall ensure that a veteran may elect to identify as a covered veteran on an appropriate form. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term classified information means any information or material that has been determined by an official of the United States pursuant to law, an Executive order, or regulation to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national security. (2) The term covered veteran means a veteran who— (A) is enrolled in the health care system established under section 1705(a) of this title; (B) is seeking mental health treatment; and (C) in the course of serving in the Armed Forces, participated in a sensitive mission or served in a sensitive unit. (3) The term sensitive mission means a mission of the Armed Forces that, at the time at which a covered veteran seeks treatment, is classified. (4) The term sensitive unit has the meaning given that term in section 130b(c)(4) of title 10. . (c) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section 1720G the following new item: 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions. .

Passed the House of Representatives February 9, 2016. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.

tv_txt: IIB 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 2915 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 10, 2016 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs AN ACT To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to identify mental health care and suicide prevention programs and metrics that are effective in treating women veterans as part of the evaluation of such programs by the Secretary, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act . 2. Specific consideration of women veterans in evaluation of Department of Veterans Affairs mental health care and suicide prevention programs Section 1709B(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting before the semicolon the following: , including specific metrics applicable to women ; (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking and at the end; (3) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (F) identify the mental health care and suicide prevention programs conducted by the Secretary that are most effective for women veterans and such programs with the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans. . 3. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that veterans who experience combat-related mental health wounds should have immediate, appropriate, and consistent access to comprehensive mental health care. (b) In general Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following section: 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions (a) Establishment of standards (1) The Secretary shall establish standards and procedures to ensure that each covered veteran may access mental health care provided by the Secretary in a manner that fully accommodates the obligation of the veteran to not improperly disclose classified information. (2) The Secretary shall disseminate guidance to employees of the Veterans Health Administration, including mental health professionals, on the standards and procedures established under paragraph (1) and how to best engage covered veterans during the course of mental health treatment with respect to classified information. (b) Identification In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall ensure that a veteran may elect to identify as a covered veteran on an appropriate form. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term classified information means any information or material that has been determined by an official of the United States pursuant to law, an Executive order, or regulation to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national security. (2) The term covered veteran means a veteran who— (A) is enrolled in the health care system established under section 1705(a) of this title; (B) is seeking mental health treatment; and (C) in the course of serving in the Armed Forces, participated in a sensitive mission or served in a sensitive unit. (3) The term sensitive mission means a mission of the Armed Forces that, at the time at which a covered veteran seeks treatment, is classified. (4) The term sensitive unit has the meaning given that term in section 130b(c)(4) of title 10. . (c) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section 1720G the following new item: 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified missions. .

Passed the House of Representatives February 9, 2016. Karen L. Haas, Clerk