,i #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #iah ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #g1 #bjag,mr4 ,coffman 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,miss ,rice of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,meehan1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mr4 ,bishop of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,costello of ,pennsylvania1 ,ms4 ,jenkins of ,kansas1 ,mr4 ,king of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,swalwell of ,california1 ,mr4 ,himes1 ,mr4 ,bergman1 ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire1 and ,mrs4 ,radewagen7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 to direct the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to furnish mental health care to certain former members of the ,armed ,forces who are not otherwise eligible to receive such care1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,veteran ,urgent ,access to ,mental ,healthcare ,act4 #b4 ,expansion of initial and urgent mental health care for certain former members of the ,armed ,forces 7a7 ,in general ,chapter #ag of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by inserting after section #agbj;,h the following new section3 #agbj;,i4 ,provision of initial and urgent mental health care for certain former members not otherwise eligible for care 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall furnish to former members of the ,armed ,forces described in subsection 7b7-- 7#a7 an initial mental health assessment2 and 7#b7 the mental health care services authorized under this chapter that the ,secretary determines are required to treat the urgent mental health care needs of the former member1 including risk of suicide or harming others4 7b7 ,former members of the ,armed ,forces described ,a former member of the ,armed ,forces described in this subsection is an individual who meets the following criteria3 7#a7 ,the individual is a former member of the ,armed ,forces1 including the reserve components1 who-- 7,a7 served in the active military1 naval1 or air service1 and was discharged or released therefrom under a condition that is not honorable except-- 7i7 dishonorable2 or 7ii7 bad conduct discharge2 7,b7 has applied for a character of service determination and such determination has not been made2 and 7,c7 is not otherwise eligible to enroll in the health care system established by section #agje of this title by reason of such discharge or release not meeting the requirements of section #aja7b7 of this title4 7#b7 ,while serving in the ,armed ,forces-- 7,a7 the former member was deployed in a theater of combat operations or an area at a time during which hostilities occurred in that area2 7,b7 participated in or experienced such combat operations or hostilities1 including by controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle from a location other than such theater or area2 or 7,c7 was the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature1 battery of a sexual nature1 or sexual harassment 7as defined in section #agbj;,d7f7 of this title74 7c7 ,non-,department care 7#a7 ,in furnishing mental health care services to an individual under this section1 the ,secretary may provide such mental health care services at a non-,department facility if-- 7,a7 in the judgment of a mental health professional employed by the ,department1 the receipt of mental health care services by that individual in facilities of the ,department would be clinically inadvisable2 or 7,b7 facilities of the ,department are not capable of furnishing such mental health care services to that individual economically because of geographical inaccessibility4 7#b7 ,the ,secretary shall carry out paragraph 7#a7 pursuant to section #agjc of this title or any other provision of law authorizing the ,secretary to enter into contracts or agreements to furnish hospital care and medical services to veterans at non-,department facilities4 7d7 ,setting and referrals ,in furnishing mental health care services to an individual under this section1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 seek to ensure that such mental health care services are furnished in a setting that is therapeutically appropriate1 taking into account the circumstances that resulted in the need for such mental health care services2 and 7#b7 provide referral services to assist former members who are not eligible for services under this chapter to obtain services from sources outside the ,department4 7e7 ,information ,the ,secretary shall provide information on the mental health care services available under this section4 ,efforts by the ,secretary to provide such information-- 7#a7 shall include availability of a toll-free telephone number 7commonly referred to as an #hjj number72 7#b7 shall ensure that information about the mental health care services available under this section-- 7,a7 is revised and updated as appropriate2 7,b7 is made available and visibly posted at appropriate facilities of the ,department2 and 7,c7 is made available through appropriate public information services2 and 7#c7 shall include coordination with the ,secretary of ,defense seeking to ensure that members of the ,armed ,forces and individuals who are being separated from active military1 naval1 or air service are provided appropriate information about programs1 requirements1 and procedures for applying for mental health care services under this section4 7f7 ,annual reports ,each year1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress an annual report on the mental health care services provided pursuant to this section4 ,each report shall include data for the year covered by the report with respect to each of the following3 7#a7 ,the number of individuals who received mental health care services under subsection 7a71 disaggregated by the number of men who received such services and the number of women who received such services4 7#b7 ,such other information as the ,secretary considers appropriate4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of sections at the beginning of chapter #ag of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #agbj;,h the following new item3 #agbj;,i4 ,provision of initial and urgent mental health care not otherwise eligible for care4 4 7c7 ,study on effect of combat service on suicide rates 7#a7 ,study ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,defense1 shall seek to enter into a contract with an independent nongovernmental entity to carry out a study on the effect combat service has had on suicide rates and serious mental health issues among veterans4 ,to the extent practicable1 such study shall-- 7,a7 compare the rate and method of suicides among veterans who have received mental health care services from the ,veterans ,health ,administration and veterans who have not received such services from the ,veterans ,health ,administration2 and 7,b7 compare the rate and method of suicides and the incidence of serious mental health issues among veterans who have served in combat and veterans who have not served in combat4 7#b7 ,report ,not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall submit to ,congress a report containing the study conducted under paragraph 7#a74