Veterans’ Mental Health Access Act

Bill: 118-hr-9427
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
Introduced: 2024-08-30
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9427 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 30, 2024 Mr. Bost introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide grants to outpatient mental health facilities for the provision of culturally competent, evidence-based mental health care for veterans, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans’ Mental Health Access Act . 2. Department of Veterans Affairs pilot program to provide grants to medical facilities for the provision of culturally competent, evidence-based mental health care for veterans (a) Establishment The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a three-year pilot program under which the Secretary shall make grants to eligible mental health care providers for the provision of culturally competent, evidence-based mental health care for veterans. (b) Eligibility To be eligible to receive a grant under the pilot program, a mental health care provider shall— (1) be a non-profit organization; (2) have operated at least one outpatient mental health facility in the United States for a continuous period of at least three years; and (3) submit to the Secretary an application that includes such information and assurances as the Secretary may require, including— (A) an identification of the outpatient facility or facilities where the provider will provide mental health care to veterans using the grant funds; (B) a plan under which at least one clinician employed by the provider at each facility for which a grant is made is trained to provide culturally competent veterans mental health care pursuant to the requirements established by the Secretary under subsection (f); and (C) an identification of the percentage of the operating budget for each such facility that was provided through Federal grants during the fiscal year preceding the year during which the application is submitted. (c) Use of funds (1) In general The recipient of a grant under the pilot program shall use the grant— (A) to provide culturally competent, evidence-based mental health care for veterans; (B) to operate an existing outpatient mental health facility or establish a new outpatient mental health facility for the purpose of providing such care; and (C) to encourage veterans who are eligible for enrollment in the patient enrollment system under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, to enroll in such system and to receive medical services furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (2) Limitations The recipient of a grant under the pilot program may not— (A) charge any veteran a fee associated with the receipt of mental health care; or (B) refuse to provide mental health care to any veteran on the basis that the veteran is not eligible for reimbursement for such care under a health plan contract or any Federal, State, or local government program. (3) Reimbursement Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the recipient of a grant under the pilot program from seeking or receiving reimbursement for all, or a portion, of the mental health care provided to a veteran, including reimbursement under a health plan contract, the Community Care Program of the Department under section 1703 of title 38, United States Care, or any other Federal, State, or local government program. (d) Selection of facilities In selecting outpatient mental health facilities for the receipt of grants under the pilot program, the Secretary— (1) shall ensure that grants are distributed evenly among outpatient mental health facilities located in rural and urban areas; (2) may consider the proportion of veterans historically served by the outpatient mental health facilities; and (3) may prioritize outpatient mental health facilities located in areas that the Secretary determines— (A) are medically underserved; (B) have large veteran populations; (C) are located near military installations; or (D) have large numbers of veterans at high risk of suicide. (e) Amount of grant (1) In general (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraph (B), no grant under the pilot program for a facility for any fiscal year may exceed $1,500,000. (B) Limitation In the case of an outpatient mental health facility for which at least 50 percent of the operating budget of the facility for the preceding fiscal year was provided through Federal grants, no grant under the pilot program for the facility for any fiscal year may exceed the lesser of— (i) 50 percent of the operating budget of the facility; or (ii) $1,500,000. (2) Multiple grants The recipient of a grant under the pilot program— (A) may apply for, and receive, grants for more than one facility of the recipient for any fiscal year; and (B) may apply for, and receive, a grant for a facility that has already received a grant under the pilot program. (f) Training requirement The Secretary shall establish the requirements for the training referred to in subsection (b)(2)(A). (g) Regulations The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section, which shall include a requirement that each recipient of a grant under the pilot program shall— (1) demonstrate the capacity to provide accountability; (2) demonstrate clinical outcomes; and (3) justify the effective use of any private investment funds or Federal grant funds through data collection and reporting metrics. (h) Report Not later than 180 days after the completion of the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program that includes the following: (1) The number of veterans who received mental health care under the program. (2) The demographics of the veterans served. (3) An identification of the types of mental health care provided and the time period for which such care was provided. (4) An identification of program outcomes. (5) The number of veterans who received mental health care under the program and subsequently enrolled in the patient enrollment system under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code. (6) An identification of any obstacles faced by grant recipients in providing mental health care under the program. (i) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the pilot program under this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2027.