[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9427 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9427
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot
program to provide grants to outpatient mental health facilities for
the provision of culturally competent, evidence-based mental health
care for veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 30, 2024
Mr. Bost introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot
program to provide grants to outpatient mental health facilities for
the provision of culturally competent, evidence-based mental health
care for 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Mental Health Access
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRANTS
TO MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR THE PROVISION OF CULTURALLY
COMPETENT, EVIDENCE-BASED MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR
VETERANS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry
out a three-year pilot program under which the Secretary shall make
grants to eligible mental health care providers for the provision of
culturally competent, evidence-based mental health care for veterans.
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the pilot
program, a mental health care provider shall--
(1) be a non-profit organization;
(2) have operated at least one outpatient mental health
facility in the United States for a continuous period of at
least three years; and
(3) submit to the Secretary an application that includes
such information and assurances as the Secretary may require,
including--
(A) an identification of the outpatient facility or
facilities where the provider will provide mental
health care to veterans using the grant funds;
(B) a plan under which at least one clinician
employed by the provider at each facility for which a
grant is made is trained to provide culturally
competent veterans mental health care pursuant to the
requirements established by the Secretary under
subsection (f); and
(C) an identification of the percentage of the
operating budget for each such facility that was
provided through Federal grants during the fiscal year
preceding the year during which the application is
submitted.
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--The recipient of a grant under the pilot
program shall use the grant--
(A) to provide culturally competent, evidence-based
mental health care for veterans;
(B) to operate an existing outpatient mental health
facility or establish a new outpatient mental health
facility for the purpose of providing such care; and
(C) to encourage veterans who are eligible for
enrollment in the patient enrollment system under
section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, to enroll
in such system and to receive medical services
furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) Limitations.--The recipient of a grant under the pilot
program may not--
(A) charge any veteran a fee associated with the
receipt of mental health care; or
(B) refuse to provide mental health care to any
veteran on the basis that the veteran is not eligible
for reimbursement for such care under a health plan
contract or any Federal, State, or local government
program.
(3) Reimbursement.--Nothing in this subsection shall
prevent the recipient of a grant under the pilot program from
seeking or receiving reimbursement for all, or a portion, of
the mental health care provided to a veteran, including
reimbursement under a health plan contract, the Community Care
Program of the Department under section 1703 of title 38,
United States Care, or any other Federal, State, or local
government program.
(d) Selection of Facilities.--In selecting outpatient mental health
facilities for the receipt of grants under the pilot program, the
Secretary--
(1) shall ensure that grants are distributed evenly among
outpatient mental health facilities located in rural and urban
areas;
(2) may consider the proportion of veterans historically
served by the outpatient mental health facilities; and
(3) may prioritize outpatient mental health facilities
located in areas that the Secretary determines--
(A) are medically underserved;
(B) have large veteran populations;
(C) are located near military installations; or
(D) have large numbers of veterans at high risk of
suicide.
(e) Amount of Grant.--
(1) In general.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), no grant under the pilot program for a facility
for any fiscal year may exceed $1,500,000.
(B) Limitation.--In the case of an outpatient
mental health facility for which at least 50 percent of
the operating budget of the facility for the preceding
fiscal year was provided through Federal grants, no
grant under the pilot program for the facility for any
fiscal year may exceed the lesser of--
(i) 50 percent of the operating budget of
the facility; or
(ii) $1,500,000.
(2) Multiple grants.--The recipient of a grant under the
pilot program--
(A) may apply for, and receive, grants for more
than one facility of the recipient for any fiscal year;
and
(B) may apply for, and receive, a grant for a
facility that has already received a grant under the
pilot program.
(f) Training Requirement.--The Secretary shall establish the
requirements for the training referred to in subsection (b)(2)(A).
(g) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to
carry out this section, which shall include a requirement that each
recipient of a grant under the pilot program shall--
(1) demonstrate the capacity to provide accountability;
(2) demonstrate clinical outcomes; and
(3) justify the effective use of any private investment
funds or Federal grant funds through data collection and
reporting metrics.
(h) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion of the
pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report on the pilot program that includes the following:
(1) The number of veterans who received mental health care
under the program.
(2) The demographics of the veterans served.
(3) An identification of the types of mental health care
provided and the time period for which such care was provided.
(4) An identification of program outcomes.
(5) The number of veterans who received mental health care
under the program and subsequently enrolled in the patient
enrollment system under section 1705 of title 38, United States
Code.
(6) An identification of any obstacles faced by grant
recipients in providing mental health care under the program.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the pilot program under this
section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2027.
<all>