,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hda  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #bc1         
#bjae,mrs4 ,ernst 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,tillis1 ,mr4 ,grassley1 and ,mr4       
,cornyn7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to expand eligibility for      
health care under the ,veterans ,access1
 ,choice1 and ,accountability ,act of   
#bjad to include certain veterans       
seeking mental health care1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,prioritizing  
,veterans ,access to ,mental ,health    
,care ,act of #bjae4  #b4 ,expansion of 
eligibility of certain veterans seeking 
mental health care for health care from 
non-,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
entities  7a7 ,in general ,section      
#aja7;b77#b7 of the ,veterans ,access1  
,choice1 and ,accountability ,act of    
#bjad 7#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note2 ,public
 ,law #aac-adf7 is amended--  7#a7 in   

subparagraph 7,c77ii71 by striking 2 or 
and inserting a semicolon2  7#b7 in     
subparagraph 7,d77ii77,,ii71 by striking
 the period at the end and inserting 2  
or2 and  7#c7 by adding at the end the  
following new subparagraph3  7,e7       
provides a statement in writing that the
 veteran seeks mental health care from  
the ,department and has not received    
timely and adequate mental health care  
through a facility or health care       
provider of the ,department4  4  7b7    
,submission of statement in writing     
7#a7 ,in general ,in providing for a    
statement in writing under subparagraph 
7,e7 of section #aja7;b77#b7 of the     
,veterans ,access1 ,choice1 and         
,accountability ,act of #bjad 7#ch      
,u4,s4,c4 #agja note2 ,public ,law      
#aac-adf71 as added by subsection 7a71  
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs    
shall develop procedures for the        
submission by veterans of such          
statement--  7,a7 electronically1       
through the primary ,internet website of

 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  
that is available to the public2 and    
7,b7 in person or by fax to the         
,non-,,va ,care ,communication ,office  
of each medical facility of the         
,department4  7#b7 ,components of       
statement ,the ,secretary shall require 
that any veteran that submits a         
statement in writing described in       
paragraph 7#a7 include the following3   
7,a7 ,the earliest date that the        
,department provided to the veteran for 
an appointment for the receipt of mental
 health care through a facility or      
health care provider of the ,department1
 or1 if no date was provided1 an        
indication that no appointment date was 
provided4  7,b7 ,the earliest date of an
 appointment of the veteran for the     
receipt of mental health care that was  
offered by a non-,department health care
 provider1 if applicable4  7,c7 ,a      
certification by the veteran that the   
veteran cannot reasonably wait for an   
appointment for mental health care      

through a facility or health care       
provider of the ,department4  7,d7      
,feedback by the veteran with respect to
 the timeliness and adequacy of mental  
health care furnished by the            
,department4  7#c7 ,receipt of statement
 ,upon the receipt by the ,department of
 a statement in writing described in    
paragraph 7#a7 by a veteran1 the        
,secretary shall provide a confirmation 
to the veteran that the ,secretary has  
received the statement in writing--     
7,a7 in the form of an immediate        
automated confirmation1 if the statement
 in writing was submitted               
electronically2 and  7,b7 in the form of
 an immediate written confirmation1 if  
the statement in writing was submitted  
in person or by fax4  7c7 ,conforming   
amendment ,section #aja7q77#b77;,a7 of  
the ,veterans ,access1 ,choice1 and     
,accountability ,act of #bjad 7#ch      
,u4,s4,c4 #agja note2 ,public ,law      
#aac-adf7 is amended--  7#a7 in clause  
7iii71 by striking 2 and and inserting a

 semicolon2  7#b7 in clause 7iv71 by    
striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 and2 and  7#c7 by adding at 
the end the following new clause3  7v7  
eligible veterans described in          
subsection 7b77#b77;,e74  4  #c4        
,prioritization of hiring incentives to 
address need for health professionals at
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs ,in  
carrying out hiring incentives for      
health professionals at the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs1 including the    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
,health ,professionals ,educational     
,assistance ,program under chapter #gf  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall 
give priority to those health           
professionals for which there is the    
greatest need in the ,department1 such  
as psychiatrists1 psychologists1 and    
other mental health care providers4  #d4
 ,source of amounts ,such sums as may be
 necessary to carry out this ,act and   
the amendments made by this ,act shall  

be derived from amounts appropriated    
under section #hja of the ,veterans     
,access1 ,choice1 and ,accountability   
,act of #bjad 7#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note2
 ,public ,law #aac-adf74  #e4 ,effective
 date ,this ,act and the amendments made
 by this ,act shall take effect on the  
date that is #ij days after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act4