,i  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #deac  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #i1 #bjaf  
,mr4 ,zeldin 7for himself and ,miss     
,rice of ,new ,york7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to make grants to 
,state and local entities to carry out  
peer-to-peer mental health programs4    
#a4 ,,pfc ,joseph ,p4 ,dwyer ,veteran   
,peer ,support ,program  7a7 ,in general
 ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs  
shall establish a grant program to be   
known as the ,,pfc ,joseph ,p4 ,dwyer   
,veteran ,peer ,support ,program under  
which the ,secretary shall make grants  
to eligible entities for the purpose of 
establishing peer-to-peer mental health 
programs for veterans4  7b7 ,eligible   
entity defined ,in this section1 the    
term eligible entity means any of the   
following entities that submit to the   
,secretary an application containing    

such information and assurances as the  
,secretary may require3  7#a7 ,a        
nonprofit organization having           
historically served veterans' mental    
health needs4  7#b7 ,a congressionally  
chartered veteran service organization4 
7#c7 ,a ,state1 local1 or tribal veteran
 service agency1 director1 or           
commissioner4  7c7 ,amount of grant ,the
 recipient of a grant under this section
 shall receive a grant in an amount that
 does not exceed #bej1jjj4  7d7 ,use of 
funds ,the recipient of a grant under   
this section shall use the grant funds  
to-- 7#a7 carry out a program that meets
 the standards developed under          
subsection 7e72  7#b7 hire veterans to  
serve as peer specialists to host group 
and individual meetings with veterans   
seeking nonclinical support2  7#c7      
provide mental health support to        
veterans #bd hours each day1 seven days 
each week2 and  7#d7 hire staff to      
support the program4  7e7 ,program      
standards  7#a7 ,advisory commission    

,the ,secretary shall establish an      
advisory committee for the purpose of   
creating appropriate standards          
applicable to programs established using
 grants under this section4  7#b7       
,standards ,the standards developed     
under paragraph 7#a7 shall include      
initial and continued training for      
veteran peer volunteers1 administrative 
staffing needs1 and best practices for  
addressing the needs of each veteran    
served4  7f7 ,nonretention of records   
,the ,secretary may not require the     
recipient of a grant under this section 
to maintain records on veterans seeking 
support or to report any personally     
identifying information directly or     
indirectly to the ,secretary about such 
veterans4  7g7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated #be1jjj1jjj to carry out
 this section during the three-year     
period beginning on the date of the     
enactment of this ,act4