,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aaee  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ab1     
#bjac ,mr4 ,tester introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
provide for advance appropriations for  
certain information technology accounts 
of the ,department of ,veterans         
,affairs1 to include mental health      
professionals in training programs of   
the ,department1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,rural ,veterans ,mental   
,health ,care ,improvement ,act4  #b4   
,advance appropriations for accounts for
 health-related information technology  
for the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs  7a7 ,advance appropriations   
for information technology accounts     
,section #aag7;c7 of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  7#d7 ,accounts1 
including subaccounts of the ,accounts  

referred to in paragraphs 7#a7 through  
7#c71 providing funds for information   
technology4  4  7b7 ,effective date ,the
 amendment made by subsection 7a7 shall 
take effect on ,october #a1 #bjad1 and  
shall apply with respect to fiscal years
 beginning on or after that date4  #c4  
,inclusion of mental health             
professionals in the education and      
training program for health personnel of
 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  
7a7 ,in general ,in carrying out the    
education and training program required 
under section #gcjb7;a77#a7 of title    
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
include education and training of       
marriage and family therapists and      
licensed professional mental health     
counselors4  7b7 ,funding ,the          
,secretary shall apportion funding for  
the education and training program      
equally among the professions included  
in the program4  #d4 ,provision of      
mental health services for families of  

certain veterans at facilities of the   
,department  7a7 ,provision of mental   
health services at ,department          
facilities ,subsection 7e7 of section   
#cjd of the ,caregivers and ,veterans   
,omnibus ,health ,services ,act of #bjaj
 7#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agab;,a note2 ,public  
,law #aaa-afc7 is amended--  7#a7 by    
striking peer outreach and peer support 
services and inserting services2 and    
7#b7 by striking ,the ,secretary shall  
carry out the services and inserting    
8,the ,secretary shall carry out--  7#a7
 the services  2  7#c7 by striking the  
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  
and  7#d7 by adding at the end the      
following new paragraph3  7#b7 the      
mental health services required by      
subsection 7a77#b7 at or through        
,department medical centers4  4  7b7    
,definition of mental health services   
,such section is further amended by     
striking subsection 7f7 and inserting   
the following3  7f7 ,definitions ,in    
this section3  7#a7 ,mental health      

services ,the term mental health        
services includes outpatient mental     
healthcare referred to in section       
#ag4ch7;a77#a77;i7 of title #ch1 ,code  
of ,federal ,regulations 7as in effect  
on the day before the date of enactment 
of this ,act74  7#b7 ,vet center ,the   
term vet center means a center for      
readjustment counseling and related     
mental health services for veterans     
under section #agab;,a of title #ch1    
,united ,states ,code4  4  #e4 ,report  
on provision of telemedicine services   
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #abj    
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 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 on the        
following3  7#a7 ,issues that may be    
impeding the provision by the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs of    
telemedicine services for veterans1     

including the following3  7,a7          
,statutory or regulatory restrictions4  
7,b7 ,licensure or credentialing issues 
for any provider practicing telemedicine
 with veterans who live in a different  
,state than the provider4  7,c7 ,limited
 broadband access in rural areas4  7,d7 
,limited information technology         
resources or capabilities4  7,e7 ,long  
distances veterans must travel to access
 a facility or clinic with telemedicine 
capabilities4  7,f7 ,insufficient       
liability protection for providers4     
7,g7 ,reimbursement issues faced by     
providers4  7,h7 ,travel limitations for
 providers that are unaffiliated with   
the ,department and are participating or
 seeking to participate in a            
telemedicine program of the ,department4
  7#b7 ,actions taken to address the    
issues identified in paragraph 7#a74    
7#c7 ,an update on efforts by the       
,department to carry out the initiative 
of teleconsultation for the provision of
 remote mental health and traumatic     

brain injury assessments required by    
section #agji;,a of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code4  7#d7 ,an update on      
efforts by the ,department to offer     
training opportunities in telemedicine  
to medical residents1 as required by    
section #ajh7;b7 of the ,janey          
,ensminger ,act 7,public ,law #aab-aed2 
#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #gdjf note74  7#e7 ,an    
update on efforts by the ,department to1
 in partnership with primary care       
providers1 install video cameras and    
instruments to monitor weight1 blood    
pressure1 and other vital statistics in 
the homes of patients4  7b7             
,telemedicine defined ,in this section1 
the term telemedicine means the use by a
 health care provider of                
telecommunications to assist in the     
diagnosis or treatment of a patient's   
medical condition4