HR 3863
VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Sign in to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill aims to improve mental healthcare for veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities related to mental health conditions. It requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide annual mental health consultations to eligible veterans and to conduct outreach to inform them about available mental health services. The bill also includes a provision for a government audit to assess the impact of these changes.
Key provisions
- Requires annual mental health consultations for veterans with service-connected mental health disabilities.
- Mandates VA outreach to inform veterans about available mental health services.
- Revises the existing mental health consultation section of Title 38.
- Directs the VA to assess veterans’ mental health needs during consultations.
- Requires the VA to discuss other mental health care options with veterans.
- Calls for a GAO report two years after enactment to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.
- The GAO report will examine the number of veterans receiving consultations and outreach, and identify any barriers to accessing these services.
Who is affected
- Veterans
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Mental health service providers
Notable changes
- Establishes a requirement for annual mental health consultations.
- Expands outreach efforts to ensure veterans are aware of available services.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yoursRead the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 3863
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish annual mental health consultations to certain veterans, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act
.
In generaland inserting
Initial consultation;
by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection (b):
consultations under paragraph (1); and
other mental health services furnished by the Secretary.
in subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by inserting or (b)
after under subsection (a)
both places it appears; and
in subsection (d), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by inserting , or to require the reevaluation of any entitlement of the veteran to compensation under this chapter
before the period at the end.
The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 11 of such title is amended—
by inserting after the item relating to section 1168 the following new item:
mental health consultations under paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of section 1169 of such title; and
whether veterans reported barriers to seeking such consultations; and
such barriers, if any.