Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide scholarships to individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers (centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans) in order to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service in Vet Centers. Conditions the scholarship on agreeing to serve in such a capacity for whatever period the Secretary specifies in the agreement.
Makes any Armed Forces member who serves in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom eligible for readjustment counseling and related mental health services through Vet Centers regardless of whether the member is on active duty at the time of receipt of counseling and services.
Directs the Secretary, on receipt of a request for counseling from an individual who has been discharged or released from active service, to: (1) provide referrals to assist the individual in obtaining mental health care and services outside the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (2) if pertinent, advise such individual of the individual's rights to apply for review of the discharge or release.
Treats the suicide of a former member that occurs within two years after separation or retirement, if the member had a medical history of a combat-related mental health condition, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), as a death in line of duty for purposes of the survivors' eligibility to burial benefits and benefits under the Survivor Benefit Plan, laws administered by the Secretary, and the Social Security Act.
Directs the Secretary of Defense to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces and deceased veterans through the survivors' peers.
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[S. 2963 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2963
To improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to
members of the Armed Forces and veterans, to enhance counseling and
other benefits available to survivors of members of the Armed Forces
and veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 1, 2008
Mr. Bond (for himself, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Obama, Mr.
Domenici, Mrs. Dole, and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to
members of the Armed Forces and veterans, to enhance counseling and
other benefits available to survivors of members of the Armed Forces
and veterans, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH CARE SPECIALISTS FOR VET CENTERS.
(a) Program Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall,
acting through the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, carry out a program to provide scholarships to
individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care
specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers in order
to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service as
behavioral health care specialists in Vet Centers.
(b) Eligibility.--An individual shall be eligible for a scholarship
under the program under this section if the individual--
(1) is pursuing education or training leading to licensure
or other certified proficiency in such behavioral health care
specialties critical to the operations of Vet Centers as the
Secretary shall designate for purposes of the program; and
(2) otherwise meets such other criteria or requirements as
the Secretary shall establish for purposes of the program.
(c) Amount.--The amount of any scholarship provided under the
program under this section shall be determined by the Secretary.
(d) Agreement To Serve as Behavioral Health Care Specialist in Vet
Centers.--As a condition of receipt of a scholarship under the program
under this section, an individual receiving a scholarship shall enter
into an agreement with the Secretary to serve as an employee of a Vet
Center in the behavioral health care specialty of the individual for
such period as the Secretary shall specify in the agreement.
(e) Repayment.--Each agreement under subsection (c) shall contain
such provisions as the Under Secretary shall establish for purposes of
the program under this section relating to repayment of the amount of a
scholarship provided under this section in the event the individual
entering into such agreement does not fulfill the service requirements
in such agreement. Such provisions shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, apply uniformly to all recipients of scholarships provided
under this section.
(f) Funding.--(1) Amounts for scholarships under the program under
this section shall be derived from amounts available to the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs for readjustment benefits.
(2) The total amount available for scholarships under the program
under this section in any fiscal year may not exceed $2,000,000.
(g) Vet Centers Defined.--In this section, the term ``Vet Centers''
means the centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health
services for veterans under section 1712A of title 38, United States
Code.
SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO SERVE IN
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM OR OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM FOR
COUNSELING AND SERVICES THROUGH VETS CENTERS.
(a) In General.--Any member of the Armed Forces, including a member
of the National Guard or Reserve, who serves on active duty in the
Armed Forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom
is eligible for readjustment counseling and related mental health
services under section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, through
the centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health
services (commonly referred to as ``Vet Centers'') operated under that
section.
(b) No Requirement for Current Active Duty Service.--A member of
the Armed Forces who meets the requirements for eligibility for
counseling and services under subsection (a) is entitled to counseling
and services under that subsection regardless of whether or not the
member is currently on active duty in the Armed Forces at the time of
receipt of counseling and services under that subsection.
(c) Regulations.--The eligibility of members of the Armed Forces
for counseling and services under subsection (a) shall be subject to
such regulations as the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall jointly prescribe for purposes of this section.
SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF AUTHORITY OF VETS CENTERS TO PROVIDE REFERRAL
AND OTHER ASSISTANCE UPON REQUEST TO FORMER MEMBERS OF
THE ARMED FORCES NOT AUTHORIZED COUNSELING.
Section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):
``(c) Upon receipt of a request for counseling under this section
from any individual who has been discharged or released from active
military, naval, or air service but who is not otherwise eligible for
such counseling, the Secretary shall--
``(1) provide referral services to assist such individual,
to the maximum extent practicable, in obtaining mental health
care and services from sources outside the Department; and
``(2) if pertinent, advise such individual of such
individual's rights to apply to the appropriate military,
naval, or air service, and to the Department, for review of
such individual's discharge or release from such service.''.
SEC. 4. TREATMENT OF SUICIDES OF CERTAIN FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES AS DEATHS IN LINE OF DUTY FOR PURPOSES OF
ELIGIBILITY OF SURVIVORS FOR CERTAIN BENEFITS.
(a) Treatment as Death in Line of Duty of Suicides of Certain
Former Members of the Armed Forces.--The suicide of a former member of
the Armed Forces described in subsection (b) that occurs during the
two-year period beginning on the date of the separation or retirement
of the former member from the Armed Forces shall be treated as a death
in line of duty of a member of the Armed Forces on active duty in the
Armed Forces for purposes of the eligibility of the survivors of the
former member for the benefits described in subsection (c).
(b) Covered Former Members of the Armed Forces.--A former member of
the Armed Forces described in this subsection is any former member of
the Armed Forces with a medical history of a combat-related mental
health condition or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic
Brain Injury (TBI).
(c) Covered Benefits.--The benefits described in this subsection
are the benefits as follows:
(1) Burial benefits.
(2) Benefits under the Survivor Benefit Plan under
subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 10, United States Code.
(3) Benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs.
(4) Benefits under the Social Security Act.
(d) Dates for Purposes of Certain Determinations.--
(1) Date of death.--Except as provided in paragraph (2),
for purposes of the benefits under this section, the date of
death of a former member of the Armed Forces described by
subsection (a) shall be the date of the separation or
retirement of the former member from the Armed Forces.
(2) Date for nature of eligibility.--In determining the
scope and nature of the entitlement a survivor of a former
member of the Armed Forces described by subsection (a) to
benefits under this section, the date of death of the former
member shall be the date of the suicide of the former member.
(e) Refund of Reduction in Retired Pay Under SBP.--Any reduction in
the retired pay of a former member of the Armed Forces described by
subsection (a) under the Survivor Benefit Plan under subchapter II of
chapter 73 of title 10, United States Code, during the period beginning
on the date of the retirement of the former member from the Armed
Forces and ending on the date of the suicide of the former member shall
be refunded to the surviving spouse or children, as applicable, of the
former member.
SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE PROVISION OF
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a program
to award grants to non-profit organizations that provide emotional
support services for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces
(including members of the National Guard and Reserve) and deceased
veterans through peers of such survivors.
(b) Award of Grants.--
(1) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under the
program under this section a non-profit organization shall meet
such criteria as the Secretary shall establish for purposes of
the program.
(2) Application.--A non-profit organization seeking a grant
under the program shall submit to the Secretary an application
for the grant in such form and manner as the Secretary shall
specify for purposes of the program.
(c) Grants.--
(1) Amount.--The amount of each grant awarded a non-profit
organization under the program under this section shall be such
amount as the Secretary determines appropriate for purposes of
the program.
(2) Duration.--The duration of each grant awarded a non-
profit organization shall be such period as the Secretary
determines appropriate for purposes of the program.
(d) Use of Grant Funds.--Each non-profit organization awarded a
grant under the program under this section shall utilize amounts under
the grant to provide such emotional support services for survivors of
deceased members of the Armed Forces (including members of the National
Guard and Reserve) and deceased veterans through peers of such
survivors as the Secretary shall specify in the grant.
(e) Funding.--Amounts for grants under the program under this
section shall be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated for
the Department of Defense for military personnel.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3715-3716)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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