[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5210 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5210
To improve mental health services of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 25, 2024
Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve mental health services 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Building Resources
and Access for Veterans' Mental Health Engagement Act of 2024'' or the
``BRAVE Act of 2024''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--IMPROVEMENT OF WORKFORCE IN SUPPORT OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Sec. 101. Report on market pay surveys for Readjustment Counseling
Service positions.
Sec. 102. Qualifications of appointees in occupations that support
mental health programs.
Sec. 103. Report on coordination of Veterans Health Administration with
Readjustment Counseling Service.
TITLE II--IMPROVEMENT OF VET CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
Sec. 201. Vet Center defined.
Sec. 202. Comptroller General report on Readjustment Counseling Service
model for expansion of Vet Center
footprint.
Sec. 203. Improvement of guidance and information to improve veteran
outreach efforts by Vet Centers.
Sec. 204. Report on information technology system of Readjustment
Counseling Service.
TITLE III--WOMEN VETERANS
Sec. 301. Study on effectiveness of suicide prevention and mental
health outreach programs of Department of
Veterans Affairs for women veterans.
Sec. 302. Requirement for Department of Veterans Affairs to modify the
REACH VET program to incorporate risk
factors weighted for women veterans.
Sec. 303. Review of and report on reintegration and readjustment
services for veterans and family members in
group retreat settings.
TITLE IV--OTHER MATTERS
Sec. 401. Extension of Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide
Prevention Grant Program.
Sec. 402. Access to mental health residential rehabilitation treatment
programs for veterans with spinal cord
injury or disorder.
Sec. 403. Mental health consultations and outreach on mental health
services for veterans receiving
compensation for disabilities relating to
mental health diagnoses.
Sec. 404. Joint report on effectiveness of programs of Department of
Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense
that promote access to mental health
services for transitioning members of the
Armed Forces.
TITLE I--IMPROVEMENT OF WORKFORCE IN SUPPORT OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE
SEC. 101. REPORT ON MARKET PAY SURVEYS FOR READJUSTMENT COUNSELING
SERVICE POSITIONS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, through the Chief Readjustment Counseling Officer, reviews
market pay surveys in each Readjustment Counseling Service District to
compare the salaries of employees in the Readjustment Counseling
Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including licensed
professional mental health counselors, social workers, and marriage and
family therapists, to the salaries of similarly situated employees
within the Department and the private sector.
(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, 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 findings specified in
subsection (a), which shall--
(1) include an assessment of pay disparities between
employees of the Readjustment Counseling Service of the
Department and similarly situated employees within the
Department and the private sector; and
(2) identify if pay-related staffing challenges exist, and
if so, determine if each Readjustment Counseling Service
District has initiated a review of third-party survey data for
the identified occupations.
(c) Districts.--Each report submitted under subsection (b) shall
include reports from all Readjustment Counseling Service Districts of
the Department, including--
(1) areas that are geographically diverse;
(2) rural areas;
(3) highly rural areas;
(4) urban areas; and
(5) areas with health care shortages.
(d) Assessment of Pay.--Each report submitted under subsection (b)
shall include an assessment of pay based on the following factors:
(1) Third-party survey data.
(2) Geographic location.
(3) Equivalent qualifications (licensure, education level,
or experience).
(4) Short-term incentives.
SEC. 102. QUALIFICATIONS OF APPOINTEES IN OCCUPATIONS THAT SUPPORT
MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS.
(a) Psychologists.--Section 7402(b)(8)(C) of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by striking ``for a period not to exceed'' and
all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ``for a
reasonable period of time recommended by the Under Secretary for
Health.''.
(b) Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors.--Section
7402(b)(11)(B) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking
the period at the end and inserting ``, except that the Secretary may
waive the requirement of licensure or certification for an individual
licensed professional mental health counselor for a reasonable period
of time recommended by the Under Secretary for Health.''.
SEC. 103. REPORT ON COORDINATION OF VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION WITH
READJUSTMENT COUNSELING SERVICE.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report regarding
coordination between the clinical care system of the Veterans Health
Administration and the Readjustment Counseling Service of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(b) Assessment.--The report required by subsection (a) shall
include an assessment of the adherence by each Director of a Veterans
Integrated Service Network to policies of the Veterans Health
Administration, which require each such Director to ensure that a
support facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs is aligned
laterally with each Vet Center to provide supportive administrative and
clinical collaboration to better serve veterans eligible for services
from Vet Centers, particularly those at high risk for suicide.
(c) Analysis.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include
an analysis of--
(1) whether staff at Vet Centers in the local area of a
medical facility of the Department have the updated contact
information for appropriate staff at the medical facility to
ensure proper coordination of care;
(2) whether the external clinical consultant and suicide
prevention coordinator of a medical facility of the Department
are providing counseling staff of each Vet Center in the local
area of the medical facility professional consultation not less
frequently than monthly through regularly scheduled peer case
presentations onsite at the Vet Center or via virtual or
telephone consultation as necessary to fully support the
coordination of care of patients, particularly those at high
risk for suicide;
(3) whether the external clinical consultant and suicide
prevention coordinator are documenting any consultation
conducted under paragraph (2); and
(4) whether the Under Secretary for Health is coordinating
with the Outreach Specialist at each Vet Center to ensure
active duty members of the Armed Forces who are participating
in the Transition Assistance Program of the Department of
Defense are provided information regarding Vet Centers and the
services provided at Vet Centers.
(d) Vet Center Defined.--In this section, the term ``Vet Center''
has the meaning given that term in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United
States Code.
TITLE II--IMPROVEMENT OF VET CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
SEC. 201. VET CENTER DEFINED.
In this title, the term ``Vet Center'' has the meaning given that
term in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 202. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON READJUSTMENT COUNSELING SERVICE
MODEL FOR EXPANSION OF VET CENTER FOOTPRINT.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a
report assessing the model used by the Readjustment Counseling Service
of the Department of Veterans Affairs to guide the expansion of the
real property footprint of Vet Centers.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall assess--
(1) whether the model described in such subsection
adequately accounts for the demand for Vet Center services in
rural areas;
(2) whether the frequency with which the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs is reassessing areas for potential expansion
of Vet Center services is often enough to address any
population shifts;
(3) whether such model adequately considers the needs of
veterans in areas with high rates of calls to the Veterans
Crisis Line or high rates of suicide by veterans or members of
the Armed Forces;
(4) whether such model adequately accounts for trends in
usage of mobile Vet Centers in a given area; and
(5) whether such model takes into account the unique needs
of veterans and members of the Armed Forces in areas being
assessed.
(c) Veterans Crisis Line.--In this section, the term ``Veterans
Crisis Line'' means the toll-free hotline for veterans established
under section 1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 203. IMPROVEMENT OF GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION TO IMPROVE VETERAN
OUTREACH EFFORTS BY VET CENTERS.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
(1) ensure each Vet Center has demographic data, such as
age, gender, race, and ethnicity, for individuals eligible for
Vet Center services in the service area of such Vet Center to
be used to tailor outreach activities, including data on
veterans who have recently transitioned from service in the
Armed Forces;
(2) provide Vet Centers with guidance for assessing the
effectiveness of outreach activities, including guidance on
metrics for those activities and targets against which to
assess those metrics to determine effectiveness;
(3) develop and implement a process to periodically assess
the extent to which veterans and members of the Armed Forces
who are eligible for services from Vet Centers experience
barriers to obtaining such services, including a lack of
awareness about Vet Centers and challenges accessing Vet Center
services; and
(4) develop and implement a process to periodically assess
the extent to which staff of Vet Centers may encounter barriers
to providing services.
SEC. 204. REPORT ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM OF READJUSTMENT
COUNSELING SERVICE.
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, through the Chief Readjustment
Counseling Officer of the Veterans Health Administration, shall submit
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report
identifying--
(1) whether the Department of Veterans Affairs is retaining
or replacing the current information technology platform of the
Department, commonly referred to as ``RCSNet'', which is
currently used to manage certain parts of the daily work of
employees of the Readjustment Counseling Service and
operational data and management functions of the Readjustment
Counseling Service;
(2) if the Department intends to keep RCSNet, the rationale
for that decision and an identification of the steps the
Department is taking to maintain or improve the functionality
of RCSNet and the timeline for those steps; and
(3) if the Department intends to replace RCSNet, the
rationale for that decision and an identification of the steps
the Department is taking to implement that replacement,
including a timeline and the estimated cost for that
replacement.
TITLE III--WOMEN VETERANS
SEC. 301. STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL
HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS FOR WOMEN VETERANS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 240 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct
surveys and host listening sessions with women veterans to determine
the extent to which--
(1) suicide prevention, lethal-means safety, and mental
health resources and messaging campaigns of the Department of
Veterans Affairs are perceived and accepted by women veterans;
(2) women veterans find those resources and messaging
campaigns effective and sufficiently tailored to women
veterans;
(3) the integration into those resources and messaging
campaigns of information pertaining to military sexual trauma,
intimate partner violence, and trauma-informed health care
would make those resources and messaging campaigns more
effective for women veterans;
(4) the Department could make additional improvements to
those resources and messaging campaigns, including the Women's
Health Transition Training Program, to make those resources and
messaging campaigns more effective for women veterans; and
(5) programs and services of the Department are targeted at
women veterans of different ages and eras of services, racial
and ethnic backgrounds, and geographical areas.
(b) Population Studied.--The Secretary shall conduct the surveys
and listening sessions required under subsection (a) in urban and rural
areas and shall ensure such surveys and listening sessions are targeted
at different demographics.
(c) Report.--Not later than one year after the surveys and
listening sessions required under subsection (a) are complete, 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 findings of such surveys and listening
sessions, which shall document the steps the Secretary intends to take
to refine the suicide prevention, lethal-means safety, and mental
health resources and messaging campaigns of the Department based on the
feedback from such surveys and listening sessions to ensure the
Secretary is utilizing the most effective strategies.
SEC. 302. REQUIREMENT FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO MODIFY THE
REACH VET PROGRAM TO INCORPORATE RISK FACTORS WEIGHTED
FOR WOMEN VETERANS.
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall initiate efforts to modify the
Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health-Veterans Enhanced
Treatment program (``REACH VET'') to incorporate into such program risk
factors weighted for women, such as military sexual trauma and intimate
partner violence.
SEC. 303. REVIEW OF AND REPORT ON REINTEGRATION AND READJUSTMENT
SERVICES FOR VETERANS AND FAMILY MEMBERS IN GROUP RETREAT
SETTINGS.
(a) Review.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall review all
requests for reintegration and readjustment services for veterans and
family members of veterans in group retreat program settings under
section 1712A(a)(1)(B)(ii) of title 38, United States Code, to
determine if current retreat programming meets demand, specifically
requests for--
(1) women only retreats;
(2) disabled access retreats, particularly wheelchair
accessible retreats; and
(3) retreats for veterans with specific medical needs.
(b) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, 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 whether the provision by
the Secretary of reintegration and readjustment services for veterans
and family members of veterans in group retreat program settings should
be increased and made permanent, including--
(1) women only retreats;
(2) disabled access retreats, particularly wheelchair
accessible retreats; and
(3) retreats for veterans with specific medical needs.
TITLE IV--OTHER MATTERS
SEC. 401. EXTENSION OF STAFF SERGEANT PARKER GORDON FOX SUICIDE
PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM.
Section 201 of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental
Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-171; 38 U.S.C.
1720F note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(2)(A), by striking ``$750,000'' and
inserting ``$1,000,000''; and
(2) in subsection (j), by striking ``three years'' and
inserting ``six years''.
SEC. 402. ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION TREATMENT
PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY OR
DISORDER.
(a) Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and