VA Peer Specialists Act

VA Peer Specialists Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to consult with its Inspector General to (1) commence an assessment of the capacity of VA peer specialists who are women, and (2) submit a plan to hire additional qualified peer specialists who are women based on the results of the assessment.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8130 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8130

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct an assessment of 
the capacity of peer specialists of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
                 who are women, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 28, 2020

Miss Rice of New York (for herself and Mr. Gonzalez of Ohio) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct an assessment of 
the capacity of peer specialists of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
                 who are women, 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 ``VA Peer Specialists Act''.

SEC. 2. STAFFING IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR PEER SPECIALISTS OF DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS WHO ARE WOMEN.

    (a) Assessment of Capacity.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
        in consultation with the Inspector General of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs, shall commence an assessment of the capacity 
        of peer specialists of the Department of Veterans Affairs who 
        are women.
            (2) Elements.--The assessment required by paragraph (1) 
        shall include an assessment of the following:
                    (A) The geographical distribution of peer 
                specialists of the Department who are women.
                    (B) The geographical distribution of women 
                veterans.
                    (C) The number and proportion of women peer 
                specialists who specialize in peer counseling on mental 
                health or suicide prevention.
                    (D) The number and proportion of women peer 
                specialists who specialize in peer counseling on non-
                mental health related matters.
                    (E) A description of the duties and 
                responsibilities of women peer specialists, including 
                number of hours worked per week, to better define, 
                delineate, and standardize qualifications, performance 
                goals, performance duties, and performance outcomes for 
                peer specialists and their managers.
                    (F) Department funds and other resources dedicated 
                to supporting the work of women peer specialists.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the assessment required 
by subsection (a) has commenced, 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 detailing 
the findings of the assessment, including the ratio of how many hours 
were worked by women peer specialists relative to the population of 
women veterans at each Department medical center.
    (c) Staffing Improvement Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after submitting 
        the report under subsection (b), the Secretary, in consultation 
        with the Inspector General, shall submit to the Committee on 
        Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' 
        Affairs of the House of Representatives a plan, based on the 
        results of the assessment required by subsection (a), to hire 
        additional qualified peer specialists who are women, with 
        special consideration for areas that lack peer specialists who 
        are women.
            (2) Elements.--The peer specialist positions included in 
        the plan required by paragraph (1)--
                    (A) shall be non-volunteer, paid positions; and
                    (B) may be part-time positions.
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