,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #digg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bf1 #bjad ,mr4
 ,bilirakis 7for himself and ,mr4 ,ruiz7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
establish a commission to examine the   
evidence-based therapy treatment model  
used by the ,secretary of ,veterans     
,affairs for treating mental illnesses  
of veterans and the potential benefits  
of incorporating complementary          
alternative treatments available in     
non-,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
medical facilities within the community4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,creating ,options for     
,veterans ,expedited ,recovery ,act or  
the ,,cover ,act4  #b4 ,establishment   
and duties  7a7 ,establishment ,there is
 established the ,veterans ,expedited   
,recovery ,commission 7in this ,act     
referred to as the ,commission74  7b7   
,duties ,the ,commission shall perform  

the following duties3  7#a7 ,examine the
 efficacy of the evidence-based therapy 
model used by the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs for treating mental  
health illnesses of veterans and        
identify areas to improve wellness-based
 outcomes4  7#b7 ,conduct a             
patient-centered survey within each of  
the ,veterans ,integrated ,service      
,networks to examine--  7,a7 the        
experience of veterans with the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs when  
seeking medical assistance for mental   
health issues through the health care   
system of the ,department2  7,b7 the    
experience of veterans with             
non-,department medical facilities and  
health professionals for treating mental
 health issues2  7,c7 the preferences of
 veterans regarding available treatments
 for mental health issues and which     
methods the veterans believe to be most 
effective2  7,d7 the experience1 if any1
 of veterans with respect to the        
complementary alternative treatment     

therapies described in subparagraphs    
7,a7 through 7,i7 in paragraph 7#c72    
7,e7 the prevalence of prescribing      
prescription medication among veterans  
seeking treatment through the health    
care system of the ,department as       
remedies for addressing mental health   
issues2 and  7,f7 the outreach efforts  
of the ,secretary regarding the         
availability of benefits and treatments 
for veterans for addressing mental      
health issues1 including by identifying 
ways to reduce barriers to and gaps in  
such benefits and treatments4  7#c7     
,examine available research on          
complementary alternative treatment     
therapies for mental health issues and  
identify what benefits could be made    
with the inclusion of such treatments   
for veterans1 including with respect    
to--  7,a7 music therapy2  7,b7 equine  
therapy2  7,c7 training and caring for  
service dogs2  7,d7 yoga therapy2  7,e7 
acupuncture therapy2  7,f7 meditation   
therapy2  7,g7 outdoor sports therapy2  

7,h7 hyperbaric oxygen therapy2  7,i7   
accelerated resolution therapy2 and     
7,j7 other therapies the ,commission    
determines appropriate4  7#d7 ,study the
 potential increase in the approval by  
the ,secretary of claims for            
compensation relating to mental health  
issues for veterans who served          
,operation ,enduring ,freedom1          
,operation ,iraqi ,freedom1 and         
,operation ,new ,dawn4  #c4 ,membership 
7a7 ,number and appointment  7#a7 ,in   
general ,the ,commission shall be       
composed of #aj members1 appointed as   
follows3  7,a7 ,two members appointed by
 the ,speaker of the ,house of          
,representatives1 at least one of whom  
shall be a veteran4  7,b7 ,two members  
appointed by the ,minority ,leader of   
the ,house of ,representatives1 at least
 one of whom shall be a veteran4  7,c7  
,two members appointed by the ,majority 
,leader of the ,senate1 at least one of 
whom shall be a veteran4  7,d7 ,two     
members appointed by the ,minority      

,leader of the ,senate1 at least one of 
whom shall be a veteran4  7,e7 ,two     
members appointed by the ,president1 at 
least one of whom shall be a veteran4   
7#b7 ,qualifications ,members of the    
,commission shall be--  7,a7 individuals
 who are of recognized standing and     
distinction within the medical community
 with a background in treating mental   
health2 and  7,b7 individuals with      
experience working with the military and
 veteran population4  7b7 ,chairman ,the
 ,president shall designate a member of 
the ,commission to be the chairman4  7c7
 ,period of ,appointment ,members of the
 ,commission shall be appointed for the 
life of the ,commission4  7d7 ,vacancy  
,a vacancy in the ,commission shall be  
filled in the manner in which the       
original appointment was made4  7e7     
,appointment ,deadline ,the appointment 
of members of the ,commission in this   
section shall be made not later than #ij
 days after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act4  #d4 ,powers of ,commission 

7a7 ,meeting  7#a7 ,initial meeting ,the
 ,commission shall hold its first       
meeting not later than #cj days after a 
majority of members are appointed to the
 ,commission4  7#b7 ,meeting ,the       
,commission shall regularly meet at the 
call of the ,chairman4 ,such meetings   
may be carried out through the use of   
telephonic or other appropriate         
telecommunication technology if the     
,commission determines that such        
technology will allow the members to    
communicate simultaneously4  7b7        
,hearing ,the ,commission may hold such 
hearings1 sit and act at such times and 
places1 take such testimony1 and receive
 evidence as the ,commission considers  
advisable to carry out the              
responsibilities of the ,commission4    
7c7 ,information from ,federal ,agencies
 ,the ,commission may secure directly   
from any department or agency of the    
,federal ,government such information as
 the ,commission considers necessary to 
carry out the duties of the ,commission4

  7d7 ,information from nongovernmental 
organizations ,in carrying out section  
#b7;b71 the ,commission may seek        
guidance through consultation with      
foundations1 veterans service           
organizations1 nonprofit groups1        
faith-based organizations1 private and  
public institutions of higher education1
 and other organizations as the         
,commission determines appropriate4  7e7
 ,commission ,records ,the ,commission  
shall keep an accurate and complete     
record of the actions and meetings of   
the ,commission4 ,such record shall be  
made available for public inspection and
 the ,comptroller ,general of the       
,united ,states may audit and examine   
such record4  7f7 ,personnel ,matters   
,upon request of the chairman of the    
,commission1 the head of any department 
or agency of the ,federal ,government   
may detail1 on a reimbursable basis1 any
 personnel of that department or agency 
to assist the ,commission in carrying   
out the duties of the ,commission4  7g7 

,compensation of ,members2 ,travel      
,expenses ,each member shall serve      
without pay1 except that each member    
shall receive travel expenses to perform
 the duties of the ,commission under    
section #b7;b7 of this ,act1 including  
per diem in lieu of subsistence1 at     
rates authorized under subchapter ,i of 
chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united ,states
 ,code4  7h7 ,staff ,the ,chairman1 in  
accordance with rules agreed upon by the
 ,commission1 may appoint and fix the   
compensation of a staff director and    
such other personnel as may be necessary
 to enable the ,commission to carry out 
its functions1 without regard to the    
provisions of title #e1 ,united ,states 
,code1 governing appointments in the    
competitive service1 without regard to  
the provision of chapter #ea and        
subchapter ,,iii of chapter #ec of such 
title relating to classification and    
,general ,schedule pay rates1 except    
that no rate of pay fixed under this    
subsection may exceed the equivalent of 

that payable for a position at a level  
,,iv of the ,executive ,schedule under  
section #ecaf of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code4  7i7 ,personnel as       
,federal employees  7#a7 ,in general    
,the executive director and any         
personnel of the ,commission are        
employees under section #baje of title  
#e1 ,united ,states ,code1 for purpose  
of chapters #fc1 #ha1 #hc1 #hd1 #he1    
#hg1 #hi1 and #ij of such title4  7#b7  
,members of the ,commission ,paragraph  
7#a7 shall not be construed to apply to 
members of the ,commission4  7j7        
,contracting ,the ,commission may1 to   
such extent and in such amounts as are  
provided in appropriations ,acts1 enter 
into contracts to enable the ,commission
 to discharge the duties of the         
,commission under this ,act4  7k7       
,expert and ,consultant ,service ,the   
,commission may procure the services of 
experts and consultants in accordance   
with section #caji of title #e1 ,united 
,states ,code1 at rates not to exceed   

the daily rate paid to a person         
occupying a position at level ,,iv of   
the ,executive ,schedule under section  
#ecae of title #e1 ,united ,states      
,code4  7l7 ,postal ,service ,the       
,commission may use the ,united ,states 
mails in the same manner and under the  
same conditions as departments and      
agencies of the ,united ,states4  7m7   
,physical ,facilities and ,equipment    
,upon the request of the ,commission1   
the ,administrator of ,general ,services
 shall provide to the ,commission1 on a 
reimbursable basis1 the administrative  
support services necessary for the      
,commission to carry out its            
responsibilities under this ,act4 ,these
 administrative services may include    
human resource management1 budget1      
leasing1 accounting1 and payroll        
services4  #e4 ,report  7a7 ,interim    
,reports  7#a7 ,in general ,not later   
than #fj days after the date on which   
the ,commission first meets1 and each   
#cj-;day period thereafter ending on the

 date on which the ,commission submits  
the final report under subsection 7b71  
the ,commission shall submit to the     
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate and the ,president a report     
detailing the level of cooperation the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs 7and   
the heads of other departments or       
agencies of the ,federal ,government7   
has provided to the ,commission4  7#b7  
,other reports ,in carrying out the     
duties pursuant to section #b7;b71 at   
times that the ,commission determines   
appropriate1 the ,commission shall      
submit to the ,committees on ,veterans' 
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives and the ,senate and any
 other appropriate entities an interim  
report with respect to the findings     
identified by the ,commission4  7b7     
,final report ,not later than #ah months
 after the first meeting of the         
,commission1 the ,commission shall      
submit to the ,committees on ,veterans' 

,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives and the ,senate1 the   
,president1 and the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs a final report on the
 findings of the ,commission4 ,such     
report shall include the following3     
7#a7 ,recommendations to implement in a 
feasible1 timely1 and cost-effective    
manner the solutions and remedies       
identified within the findings of the   
,commission pursuant to section #b7;b74 
7#b7 ,an analysis of the evidence-based 
therapy model used by the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs for treating veterans
 with mental health care issues1 and an 
examination of the prevalence and       
efficacy of prescription drugs as a     
means for treatment4  7#c7 ,the findings
 of the patient-centered survey         
conducted within each of the ,veterans  
,integrated ,service ,networks pursuant 
to section #b7;b77#b74  7#d7 ,an        
examination of complementary alternative
 treatments described in section        
#b7;b77#c7 and the potential benefits of

 incorporating such treatments in the   
therapy model used by the ,secretary for
 treating veterans with mental health   
issues4  7c7 ,plan ,not later than #ij  
days after the date on which the        
,commission submits the final report    
under subsection 7b71 the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs shall submit to the  
,committees on ,veterans' ,affairs of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate a report on the following3  7#a7
 ,an action plan for implementing the   
recommendations established by the      
,commission on such solutions and       
remedies for improving wellness-based   
outcomes for veterans with mental health
 care issues4  7#b7 ,a feasible         
timeframe on when complementary         
alternative treatments described in     
section #b7;b77#c7 can be implemented   
,department-wide4  7#c7 ,if the         
,secretary determines that implementing 
the recommendations established by the  
,commission1 including with respect to  
such complementary alternative          

treatments1 is not appropriate or       
feasible1 a justification for such      
determination and an alternative        
solution to improve the efficacy of the 
therapy model used by the ,secretary for
 treating veterans with mental health   
issues4  #f4 ,termination of ,commission
 ,the ,commission shall terminate #cj   
days after the ,commission submits the  
final report under section #e7;b74