#aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #dfce  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
increase the number of peer-to-peer     
counselors providing counseling for     
women veterans1 and for other purposes4 
#a4 ,peer support counseling program for
 women veterans  7a7 ,in general        
,section #agbj;,f7j7 of title #ch1      
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following new     
paragraph3  7#d7 7,a7 ,as part of the   
counseling program under this           
subsection1 the ,secretary shall        
emphasize appointing peer support       
counselors for women veterans4 ,to the  
degree practicable1 the ,secretary shall
 seek to recruit women peer support     
counselors with expertise in--  7i7     
female gender-specific issues and       
services2  7ii7 the provision of        
information about services and benefits 
provided under laws administered by the 
,secretary2 or  7iii7 employment        
mentoring4  7,b7 ,to the degree         

practicable1 the ,secretary shall       
emphasize facilitating peer support     
counseling for women veterans who are   
eligible for counseling and services    
under section #agbj;,d of this title1   
have post-traumatic stress disorder or  
suffer from another mental health       
condition1 are homeless or at risk of   
becoming homeless1 or are otherwise at  
increased risk of suicide1 as determined
 by the ,secretary4  7,c7 ,the          
,secretary shall conduct outreach to    
inform women veterans about the program 
and the assistance available under this 
paragraph4  7,d7 ,in carrying out this  
paragraph1 the ,secretary shall         
coordinate with such community          
organizations1 ,state and local         
governments1 institutions of higher     
education1 chambers of commerce1 local  
business organizations1 organizations   
that provide legal assistance1 and other
 organizations as the ,secretary        
considers appropriate4  7,e7 ,in        
carrying out this paragraph1 the        

,secretary shall provide adequate       
training for peer support counselors1   
including training carried out under the
 national program of training required  
by section #cjd7;c7 of the ,caregivers  
and ,veterans ,omnibus ,health ,services
 ,act of #bjaj 7#ch ,u4,s4,c4 #agab;,a  
note74  4  7b7 ,funding ,the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs shall carry out   
paragraph 7#d7 of section #agbj;,f7j7 of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 as   
added by subsection 7a71 using funds    
otherwise made available to the         
,secretary4 ,no additional funds are    
authorized to be appropriated by reason 
of such paragraph4  7c7 ,report to      
,congress ,not later than #b years after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act1
 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall submit to the ,committees on      
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
,house of ,representatives a report on  
the peer support counseling program     
under section #agbj;,f7j7 of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code1 as amended by    

this section4 ,such report shall        
include-- 7#a7 the number of peer       
support counselors in the program2  7#b7
 an assessment of the effectiveness of  
the program2 and  7#c7 a description of 
the oversight of the program4  ,passed  
the ,house of ,representatives ,june    
#ac1 #bjah4;,clerk4