,,ib  ,union ,calendar ,no4 #dhd  #aacth
 ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4     
#diga  ,report ,no4 #aac-fde  ,,in ,,the
 ,,house ,,of ,,representatives  ,june  
#be1 #bjad ,mr4 ,o',rourke 7for himself1
 ,mr4 ,flores1 ,ms4 ,gabbard1 ,mr4      
,horsford1 ,mr4 ,israel1 ,mr4 ,jolly1   
,mr4 ,michaud1 ,mr4 ,pallone1 ,mr4      
,swalwell of ,california1 ,ms4          
,hanabusa1 ,ms4 ,hahn1 and ,mr4         
,thompson of ,california7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,december #c1 #bjad ,additional         
sponsors3 ,mr4 ,hurt1 ,mrs4 ,negrete    
,mc,leod1 ,ms4 ,brownley of ,california1
 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mr4 ,barber1 ,mrs4       
,kirkpatrick1 ,mr4 ,al ,green of ,texas1
 ,mr4 ,gene ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4      
,garcia1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,virginia1 ,mr4 
,cook1 ,mr4 ,yoho1 ,mr4 ,ruiz1 ,mrs4    
,walorski1 ,mr4 ,walz1 ,mr4 ,pearce1    
,mr4 ,lewis1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,ms4 ,sinema1 
,mr4 ,huffman1 and ,ms4 ,kuster         
,december #c1 #bjad ,reported with an   

amendment1 committed to the ,committee  
of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of   
the ,union1 and ordered to be printed   
,strike out all after the enacting      
clause and insert the part printed in   
italic ,for text of introduced bill1 see
 copy of bill as introduced on ,june    
#be1 #bjad  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
conduct annual surveys of veterans on   
experiences obtaining hospital care and 
medical services from medical facilities
 of the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,ask ,veterans ,act4  #b4 ,survey of
 veteran experiences with ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs medical care  7a7   
,in general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs shall seek to enter into a    
contract with a non-government entity   
with significant experience conducting  
scientifically verifiable surveys and   
research to conduct an annual survey of 
a statistically significant sample of   

veterans who reside in the geographic   
area served by each of the medical      
facilities of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs to determine the     
nature of the experiences of such       
veterans in obtaining hospital care and 
medical services furnished by the       
,secretary at each such medical         
facility4 ,each such survey shall be    
conducted using scientific and          
verifiable methods4 ,such contract shall
 provide that the non-government entity 
shall conduct such annual surveys during
 the five-year period beginning on the  
date on which the ,secretary enters into
 the contract with the non-government   
entity4  7b7 ,contents ,the contract    
entered into under subsection 7a7 shall 
provide that each survey conducted      
pursuant to the contract shall be       
specific to a medical facility of the   
,department and shall include questions 
relating to the experiences of veterans 
in requesting and receiving appointments
 for hospital care and medical services 

furnished by the ,secretary at that     
medical facility1 including questions   
relating to each of the following3  7#a7
 ,the veteran's ability to obtain       
hospital care and medical services at   
the facility in a timely manner4  7#b7  
,the period of time between the date on 
which the veteran requests an           
appointment at the facility and the date
 on which the appointment is scheduled4 
7#c7 ,the frequency with which scheduled
 appointments are cancelled by the      
facility4  7#d7 ,the quality of hospital
 care or medical services the veteran   
has received at the facility4  7c7      
,consultation ,the contract entered into
 under subsection 7a7 shall provide that
 in designing and conducting the surveys
 for each medical facility of the       
,department pursuant to such contract1  
the non-government entity shall consult 
with veterans service organizations4    
7d7 ,certification ,the contract entered
 into under subsection 7a7 shall provide
 that--  7#a7 before conducting a survey

 pursuant to the contract1 the          
non-government entity shall submit the  
proposed survey to the ,comptroller     
,general who shall assess whether the   
survey is scientifically valid and      
whether the proposed sample size of     
veterans to be surveyed is statistically
 significant2 and  7#b7 the             
non-government entity may not conduct   
such a survey until the ,comptroller    
,general provides such a certification  
for the survey4  7e7 ,submittal of      
results and public availability of      
information ,not later than #cj days    
after the completion of the surveys     
conducted pursuant to a contract entered
 into under subsection 7a7 for a year1  
the ,secretary shall make the results of
 the surveys publicly available on the  
,internet website of the ,department4   
7f7 ,paperwork reduction ,subchapter ,i 
of chapter #ce of title #dd1 ,united    
,states ,code shall not apply to this   
section4  7g7 ,deadline for             
implementation ,the ,secretary shall    

enter into a contract under subsection  
7a7 for each medical facility of the    
,department by not later than #ahj days 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  #c4 ,mental health treatment for 
veterans who served in classified       
missions  7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is
 the sense of ,congress that veterans   
who experience combat-related mental    
health wounds should have immediate1    
appropriate1 and consistent access to   
comprehensive mental health care4  7b7  
,in general ,subchapter ,,ii of chapter 
#ag of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following section3  #agbj;,h4 ,mental   
health treatment for veterans who served
 in classified missions  7a7            
,establishment of standards  7#a7 ,the  
,secretary shall establish standards and
 procedures to ensure that each covered 
veteran may access mental health care   
provided by the ,secretary in a manner  
that fully accommodates the obligation  
of the veteran to not improperly        

disclose classified information4  7#b7  
,the ,secretary shall disseminate       
guidance to employees of the ,veterans  
,health ,administration1 including      
mental health professionals1 on the     
standards and procedures established    
under paragraph 7#a7 and how to best    
engage covered veterans during the      
course of mental health treatment with  
respect to classified information4  7b7 
,identification ,in carrying out this   
section1 the ,secretary shall ensure    
that a veteran may elect to identify as 
a covered veteran on an appropriate     
form4  7c7 ,definitions ,in this        
section3  7#a7 ,the term classified     
information means any information or    
material that has been determined by an 
official of the ,united ,states pursuant
 to law1 an ,executive order1 or        
regulation to require protection against
 unauthorized disclosure for reasons of 
national security4  7#b7 ,the term      
covered veteran means a veteran who--   
7,a7 is enrolled in the health care     

system established under section        
#agje7;a7 of this title2  7,b7 is       
seeking mental health treatment2 and    
7,c7 in the course of serving in the    
,armed ,forces1 participated in a       
sensitive mission or served in a        
sensitive unit4  7#c7 ,the term         
sensitive mission means a mission of the
 ,armed ,forces that1 at the time at    
which a covered veteran seeks treatment1
 is classified4  7#d7 ,the term         
sensitive unit has the meaning given    
that term in section #acj;b7c77#d7 of   
title #aj4  4  7c7 ,clerical amendment  
,the table of sections at the beginning 
of such chapter is amended by adding    
after the item relating to section      
#agbj;,g the following new item3        
#agbj;,h4 ,mental health treatment for  
veterans who served in classified       
missions4  4  #d4 ,board of ,veterans'  
,appeals video hearings ,section #gajg  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 
amended--  7#a7 in subsection 7d71 by   
amending paragraph 7#a7 to read as      

follows3  7#a7  7,a7 ,upon request for a
 hearing1 the ,board shall determine1   
for purposes of scheduling the hearing  
for the earliest possible date1 whether 
a hearing before the ,board will be held
 at its principal location or at a      
facility of the ,department or other    
appropriate ,federal facility located   
within the area served by a regional    
office of the ,department4 ,the ,board  
shall also determine whether to provide 
a hearing through the use of the        
facilities and equipment described in   
subsection 7e77#a7 or by the appellant  
personally appearing before a ,board    
member or panel4  7,b7 ,the ,board shall
 notify the appellant of the            
determinations of the location and type 
of hearing made under subparagraph 7,a74
 ,upon notification1 the appellant may  
request a different location or type of 
hearing as described in such            
subparagraph4 ,if so requested1 the     
,board shall grant such request and     
ensure that the hearing is scheduled at 

the earliest possible date without any  
undue delay or other prejudice to the   
appellant4  2 and  7#b7 in subsection   
7e71 by amending paragraph 7#b7 to read 
as follows3  7#b7 ,any hearing provided 
through the use of the facilities and   
equipment described in paragraph 7#a7   
shall be conducted in the same manner   
as1 and shall be considered the         
equivalent of1 a personal hearing4  4   
,december #c1 #bjad ,reported with an   
amendment1 committed to the ,committee  
of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of   
the ,union1 and ordered to be printed