Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act or the Clay Hunt SAV Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to each arrange for an independent third party evaluation of, respectively, the VA and DOD mental health care and suicide prevention programs.
Directs the VA Secretary to publish an Internet website that serves as a centralized source to provide veterans with regularly updated information regarding all of the VA's mental health care services.
Requires the VA Secretary and the DOD Secretary to enter into certain strategic relationships to facilitate:
Requires the VA Secretary to carry out a three-year pilot program to repay the education loans relating to psychiatric medicine that are incurred by individuals who:
Requires the DOD Secretary to submit to Congress a review of the staffing requirements for individual State National Guard Commands with respect to Directors of Psychological Health.
Authorizes the VA Secretary to collaborate with nonprofit mental health organizations to prevent suicide among veterans. Requires the collaborators to exchange training sessions, best practices, and other resources to enhance their suicide prevention efforts. Directs the Secretary to select a Director of Suicide Prevention Coordination within the VA to undertake any collaboration with nonprofit mental health organizations.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2930 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2930
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to provide for the conduct of an evaluation of mental health
care and suicide prevention programs of the Department of Defense and
the Department of Veterans Affairs, to require a pilot program on loan
repayment for psychiatrists who agree to serve in the Veterans Health
Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 17, 2014
Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. Burr, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Blunt, Mr.
Manchin, and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill; which was
read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to provide for the conduct of an evaluation of mental health
care and suicide prevention programs of the Department of Defense and
the Department of Veterans Affairs, to require a pilot program on loan
repayment for psychiatrists who agree to serve in the Veterans Health
Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for
American Veterans Act'' or the ``Clay Hunt SAV Act''.
SEC. 2. EVALUATION OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND SUICIDE PREVENTION
PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE.
(a) Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary concerned shall provide for
the conduct of an evaluation of the mental health care and
suicide prevention programs carried out under the laws
administered by such Secretary.
(2) Elements.--Each evaluation conducted under paragraph
(1) shall--
(A) use metrics that are common among and useful
for practitioners in the field of mental health care
and suicide prevention;
(B) evaluate the effectiveness of each mental
health care and suicide prevention program conducted by
the Secretary concerned, including such programs
conducted at a Center of Excellence;
(C) identify the most effective and least effective
of the programs evaluated under subparagraph (B);
(D) include recommendations on which programs
evaluated under subparagraph (B) can be eliminated or
consolidated and which programs can benefit from
additional resources; and
(E) propose best practices for caring for
individuals who suffer from mental health disorders or
are at risk of suicide.
(3) Third party.--
(A) In general.--Each evaluation provided for under
paragraph (1) shall be conducted by an independent
third party unaffiliated with the Department of
Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.
(B) Submittal of evaluation.--An independent third
party that conducts an evaluation provided for under
paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary concerned
the evaluation of the mental health care and suicide
prevention programs carried out under the laws
administered by such Secretary.
(4) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report that contains
the evaluation submitted to the Secretary under paragraph
(3)(B).
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned''
means--
(A) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect
to matters concerning the Department of Veterans
Affairs; and
(B) the Secretary of Defense with respect to
matters concerning the Department of Defense.
SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF INTERNET WEBSITE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish an
Internet website that serves as a centralized source to provide
veterans with information regarding all of the mental health care
services provided by the Secretary.
(b) Elements.--The Internet website published under subsection (a)
shall provide to veterans information regarding all of the mental
health care services available under the laws administered by the
Secretary, disaggregated by Veterans Integrated Service Network,
including, with respect to each medical center and community-based
outpatient center--
(1) the name and contact information of each social work
office;
(2) the name and contact information of each mental health
clinic;
(3) a list of all staff who carry out tasks related to the
provision of mental health care services; and
(4) any other information the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(c) Updated Information.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
information described in subsection (b) that is published on the
Internet website under subsection (a) is updated not less than once
every 90 days.
(d) Outreach.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
ensure that the outreach conducted under section 1720F(i) of title 38,
United States Code, includes information regarding the Internet website
published under subsection (a).
SEC. 4. IMPROVEMENTS TO HEALTH CARE MATTERS.
(a) Reserve Components and Department of Veterans Affairs.--The
Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense, in
consultation with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, shall enter
into formal strategic relationships between the Joint Forces
Headquarters of each State regional commands of the reserve components
of the Armed Forces and the Veterans Service Integrated Network,
medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other
local offices of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in or
serving the State with respect to facilitating--
(1) the mental health referrals of members of the reserve
components of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected
disability and are being discharged or released from the Armed
Forces;
(2) timely behavioral health services for such members;
(3) communication between the various entities when such
members are at risk for behavioral health reasons; and
(4) the transfer of documentation for line of duty and
fitness for duty determinations.
(b) Comptroller General Report on Transition of Care.--
(1) In general.--Not later than April 1, 2015, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the
congressional defense committees (as defined in section
101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code), the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that assesses
the transition of care for post-traumatic stress disorder or
traumatic brain injury.
(2) Matters included.--The report under paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) The programs, policies, and regulations that
affect the transition of care for post-traumatic stress
disorder or traumatic brain injury, particularly with
respect to individuals who are taking or have been
prescribed antidepressants, stimulants, antipsychotics,
mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, depressants, or
hallucinogens.
(B) Upon transitioning to care furnished by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the extent to which the
pharmaceutical treatment plan of an individual changes
and the factors determining such changes.
(C) The extent to which the Secretary of Defense
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs have worked
together to identify and apply best pharmaceutical
treatment practices.
(D) A description of the off-formulary waiver
process of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the
extent to which the process is applied efficiently at
the treatment level.
(E) The benefits and challenges of combining the
formularies across the Department of Defense and the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(F) Such other issues as the Comptroller General
considers appropriate.
(3) Transition of care defined.--In this subsection, the
term ``transition of care'' means the transition of an
individual from receiving treatment furnished by the Secretary
of Defense to treatment furnished by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.
SEC. 5. PILOT PROGRAM FOR REPAYMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LOANS FOR CERTAIN
PSYCHIATRISTS OF VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out
a pilot program to repay loans of individuals described in subsection
(b) that--
(1) were used by such individuals to finance the
educational expenses of such individuals relating to
psychiatric medicine, including education leading to--
(A) an undergraduate degree;
(B) a degree of doctor of medicine; or
(C) a degree of doctor of osteopathy; and
(2) were obtained from any of the following:
(A) A governmental entity.
(B) A private financial institution.
(C) An institution of higher education.
(D) Any other entity as specified the Secretary for
purposes of the pilot program.
(b) Eligible Individuals.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), an individual
eligible for participation in the pilot program is an
individual who--
(A) either--
(i) is licensed or eligible for licensure
to practice psychiatric medicine in the
Veterans Health Administration of the
Department of Veterans Affairs; or
(ii) is enrolled in the final year of a
residency program leading to a specialty
qualification in psychiatric medicine that is
approved by the Accreditation Council for
Graduate Medical Education; and
(B) demonstrates a commitment to a long-term career
as a psychiatrist in the Veterans Health
Administration, as determined by the Secretary.
(2) Prohibition on simultaneous eligibility.--An individual
who is participating in any other program of the Federal
Government that repays the educational loans of the individual
is not eligible to participate in the pilot program.
(c) Selection.--The Secretary shall select not less than 10
individuals described in subsection (b) to participate in the pilot
program for each year in which the Secretary carries out the pilot
program.
(d) Period of Obligated Service.--The Secretary shall enter into an
agreement with each individual selected under subsection (c) in which
such individual agrees to serve a period of obligated service for the
Veterans Health Administration in the field of psychiatric medicine, as
determined by the Secretary for purposes of the pilot program, in
exchange for the repayment of the loan or loans of such individual
under the pilot program.
(e) Loan Repayments.--
(1) Amounts.--Subject to paragraph (2), a loan repayment
under this section may consist of payment of the principal,
interest, and related expenses of a loan obtained by an
individual who is participating in the pilot program for all
educational expenses (including tuition, fees, books, and
laboratory expenses) of such individual relating to education
described in subsection (a)(1).
(2) Limit.--For each year of obligated service that an
individual who is participating in the pilot program agrees to
serve under subsection (d), the Secretary may pay not more than
$120,000 in loan repayment on behalf of such individual.
(f) Breach.--
(1) Liability.--An individual who participates in the pilot
program and fails to satisfy the period of obligated service
under subsection (d) shall be liable to the United States, in
lieu of such obligated service, for the amount that has been
paid or is payable to or on behalf of the individual under the
pilot program, reduced by the proportion that the number of
days served for completion of the period of obligated service
bears to the total number of days in the period of obligated
service of such individual.
(2) Repayment period.--Any amount of damages that the
United States is entitled to recover under this subsection
shall be paid to the United States not later than one year
after the date of the breach of the agreement.
(g) Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than two years after the
date on which the pilot program under subsection (a)
commences, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a
report on the pilot program.
(B) Elements.--The report required by subparagraph
(A) shall include the following:
(i) The number of individuals who
participated in the pilot program.
(ii) The locations in which such
individuals were employed by the Department,
including how many such locations were rural or
urban locations.
(iii) An assessment of the quality of the
work performed by such individuals in the
course of such employment.
(iv) The number of psychiatrists the
Secretary determines is needed by the
Department in the future.
(2) Interim report.--Not later than 90 days after the date
on which the pilot program terminates under subsection (i), the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House
of Representatives an update to the report submitted under
paragraph (1).
(3) Final report.--Not later than one year after the date
on which the pilot program terminates under subsection (i), the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House
of Representatives a report specifying the number of
individuals who participated in the pilot who are still
employed by the Department as of the date of submittal of the
report.
(h) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to
carry out this section, including standards for qualified loans and
authorized payees and other terms and conditions for the making of loan
repayments.
(i) Termination.--The authority to carry out the pilot program
shall expire on the date that is three years after the date on which
the Secretary commences the pilot program.
SEC. 6. REVIEW OF STAFFING REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE DIRECTORS OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH.
(a) In General.--Not later than 540 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report detailing the results of a
review, conducted in coordination with the Chief of the National Guard
Bureau, of the staffing requirements for individual State National
Guard Commands with respect to Directors of Psychological Health.
(b) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 7. COLLABORATION ON SUICIDE PREVENTION EFFORTS BETWEEN THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND NON-PROFIT MENTAL
HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Collaboration.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may
collaborate with non-profit mental health organizations to prevent
suicide among veterans as follows:
(1) To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of suicide
prevention efforts carried out by the Department of Veterans
Affairs and non-profit mental health organizations.
(2) To assist non-profit mental health organizations with
the suicide prevention efforts of those organizations through
the use of the expertise of employees of the Department.
(3) To jointly carry out suicide prevention efforts.
(b) Exchange of Resources.--In carrying out any collaboration under
subsection (a), the Secretary and any non-profit mental health
organization with which the Secretary is collaborating under such
subsection shall exchange training sessions, best practices, and other
resources to help with the suicide prevention efforts of the Department
and such organization.
(c) Director of Suicide Prevention Coordination.--The Secretary
shall select within the Department a Director of Suicide Prevention
Coordination to undertake any collaboration with non-profit mental
health organizations under this section or any other provision of law.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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