Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Veterans Combat Stress Healthcare
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:
(1) More than 1.6 million members of the Armed Forces have
been deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq for Operation Enduring
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
(2) The 2008 RAND Corporation report entitled ''Invisible
Wounds of War'' stated that ''With the possibility of more than
300,000 new cases of mental health conditions among OEF/OIF
veterans, a commensurate increase in treatment capacity is
needed.''.
(3) Combat stress refers to the expected and predictable
emotional, intellectual, physical, or behavioral reactions of
members of the Armed Forces who have been exposed to stressful
events in war or other military operations, and combat stress
is often associated with post-traumatic stress disorder,
anxiety, depression, alcohol or drug abuse, and readjustment
difficulties.
(4) Approximately 18.5 percent of the members of the Armed
Forces who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq are believed to
be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression,
and the rate of suicide among veterans suffering from post-
traumatic stress disorder is a serious problem.
(5) Approximately 19.5 percent of the members of the Armed
Forces who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq report that they
experienced a traumatic brain injury during their deployment.
(6) It is estimated that only half of the veterans who need
treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain
injury actually seek treatment, and, of the veterans who
receive treatment, only slightly more than half receive
minimally adequate or better care.
(7) The Department of Veterans Affairs must be prepared to
provide lifetime care for veterans who were severely wounded
physically or psychologically in combat operations in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
(8) The inadequate number of licensed mental health
professionals trained to treat combat stress may have a
negative long-term impact on the quality of mental health care
for veterans.
(9) There are many challenges surrounding the hiring and
retention of trained mental health providers by the Department
of Veterans Affairs.
(10) The Health Professionals Educational Assistance
Program under chapter 76 of title 38, United States Code,
contains a number of scholarship, tuition reimbursement, and
education debt reduction programs that need to be better
utilized by the Department of Veterans Affairs to relieve the
shortage in the number of licensed mental health professionals
employed by the Department who have received specialized
training in the treatment of combat stress.

SEC. 3. USE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO
INCREASE NUMBER OF LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
EMPLOYED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TRAINED TO
TREAT COMBAT STRESS.

(a) In General.--Section 7603 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
''(e)(1) The purpose of this subsection is to establish a means to
increase the number of licensed mental health professionals employed by
the Department of Veterans Affairs who have the specialized training
necessary to treat combat stress by providing a selection priority
under the following components of the Educational Assistance Program:
''(A) The scholarship program provided for in subchapter II
of this chapter.
''(B) The tuition reimbursement program provided for in
subchapter III of this chapter.
''(C) The Selected Reserve member stipend program provided
for under subchapter V of this chapter.
''(D) The employee incentive scholarship program provided
for in subchapter VI of this chapter.
''(E) The education debt reduction program provided for in
subchapter VII of this chapter.
''(2) In addition to the priority given under subsection (d) in
selecting applicants for acceptance in the Educational Assistance
Program under subchapter II, III, V, or VI of this chapter, the
Secretary shall give priority to the application of an individual who--
''(A) is otherwise eligible to receive assistance under the
applicable subchapter; and
''(B) is accepted for enrollment, or is enrolled, as a
student at a qualifying educational institution in a course of
education or training that is approved by the Secretary and--
''(i) leads to a degree as a licensed mental health
professional with specialized training in the treatment
of combat stress; or
''(ii) in the case of an individual who is already
a licensed mental health professional, provides
specialized training in the field of combat stress.
''(3) In addition to the priority given under subsection (d) in
selecting applicants for acceptance in the Educational Assistance
Program under subchapter VII of this chapter, the Secretary shall give
priority to the application of an individual who--
''(A) is otherwise eligible to receive assistance under
such subchapter;
''(B) has completed a degree qualifying the individual as a
licensed mental health professional;
''(C) is an employee of the Department who serves in a
position related to the treatment of combat stress; and
''(D) owes any amount of principal or interest under a loan
used by that individual to pay costs directly relating to
earning the degree as a licensed mental health professional.
''(4) The Secretary shall make available to personnel of the
Department and to educational institutions offering courses in mental
health such materials as the Secretary considers appropriate to provide
information on the Educational Assistance Program priorities available
under this subsection and shall encourage educational institutions to
disseminate the materials to students.
''(5) The priority required by paragraphs (2) and (3) shall apply
until such time as the Secretary certifies to Congress that the
shortage no longer exists in the number of licensed mental health
professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs who have
specialized training in the treatment of combat stress.
''(6) Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of the
Veterans Combat Stress Healthcare Improvement Act, the Secretary shall
issue guidelines for the identification of educational programs that
are qualified to provide specialized training in the treatment of
combat stress.
''(7) In this subsection:
''(A) The term 'licensed mental health professional'
includes individuals certified as a social worker,
psychologist, psychiatrist, or in such other disciplines as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate for purposes of this
subsection.
''(B) The term 'combat stress' refers to the expected and
predictable emotional, intellectual, physical, or behavioral
reactions of veterans who have been exposed to stressful events
in war or other military operations, and combat stress is often
associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety,
depression, alcohol or drug abuse, and readjustment
difficulties.
''(8) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary
$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2011 to carry out
this subsection.''.
(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in the amendment made by
subsection (a) is intended to limit or define the diagnosis or
treatment of veterans' medical conditions.
(c) Reauthorization of Expired Scholarship Program.--Section 7618
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ''1998'' and
inserting ''2011''.
Output:
Veterans Combat Stress Healthcare Improvement Act - Revises the veterans' health professionals educational assistance program to provide a selection priority under various program components for those seeking to obtain the specialized training necessary to treat combat stress. Provides a similar priority for individuals who have completed the degree requirements necessary for qualification as a licensed mental health professional, are employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in positions related to the treatment of combat stress, and owe any principal or interest on loans used to pay costs related to earning the degree.

Reauthorizes the program's scholarship program for FY2009-FY2011.