,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ajfd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #ae1       
#bjag,mr4 ,o',rourke 7for himself and   
,mr4 ,jones7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,armed ,services1 and in  
addition to the ,committee on ,veterans'
 ,affairs1 for a period to be           
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize an individual  
who is transitioning from receiving     
treatment furnished by the ,secretary of
 ,defense to treatment furnished by the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
continue receiving treatment from such  
individual's mental health care provider
 of the ,department of ,defense1 and for
 other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,mental       
,health ,care ,provider ,retention ,act 
of #bjag4  #b4 ,retention of ,mental    

,health ,care ,provider  7a7 ,in        
,general ,during the transition from    
receiving treatment furnished by the    
,secretary of ,defense to treatment     
furnished by the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs1 a covered individual may     
elect to continue receiving treatment   
from such individual's mental health    
care provider of the ,department of     
,defense4  7b7 ,priority ,a covered     
individual shall receive the same level 
of priority as members of the ,armed    
,forces at the military medical         
treatment facility at which the covered 
individual has elected to continue      
treatment4  7c7 ,reimbursement of ,costs
 ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs  
shall reimburse the ,secretary of       
,defense for services rendered pursuant 
to subsection 7a71 if such services     
would have otherwise been furnished by  
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4   
7d7 ,departure of ,mental ,health ,care 
,provider ,in the event that the mental 
health care provider described under    

subsection 7a7 departs the military     
medical treatment facility at which the 
covered individual is receiving         
treatment1 such individual may elect to 
obtain the services of--  7#a7 a        
different mental health care provider at
 the same military medical treatment    
facility2 or  7#b7 a mental health care 
provider of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs4  7e7 ,departure of ,covered  
,individual ,in the event that the      
covered individual relocates and is     
unable to reasonably receive care at the
 military medical treatment facility at 
which such individual has elected to    
continue treatment under subsection 7a71
 such individual shall transition to    
receiving treatment from a mental health
 care provider of the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs4  7f7 ,medical       
,records ,the ,secretary of ,veterans   
,affairs shall ensure that any mental   
health care provider of the ,department 
of ,defense that furnishes care or      
services under this section to a covered

 individual submits to the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs a copy of any     
medical record related to the care or   
services provided to such individual by 
such mental health care provider for    
inclusion in the electronic medical     
record of such individual maintained by 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
upon such individual's transition to    
receiving treatment from a mental health
 care provider of the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs4  7g7 ,definition of 
,covered ,individual ,in this section1  
the term covered individual means an    
individual who has been diagnosed with a
 mental health condition and-- 7#a7 is  
enrolling in the patient enrollment     
system of the ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs1 established by section #agje  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code2 or 
7#b7 has enrolled in the patient        
enrollment system of the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs and is still in      
transition from receiving treatment     
furnished by the ,secretary of ,defense1

 as determined by the ,secretary of     
,veterans ,affairs4