,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hjje  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #aa1         
#bjbj,mr4 ,golden 7for himself and ,mr4 
,banks7 introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
direct the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs to carry out a pilot program to
 provide veterans access to computerized
 cognitive behavioral therapy4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veterans ,access to ,online        
,treatment ,act4  #b4 ,pilot program to 
provide veterans access to computerized 
cognitive behavioral therapy  7a7 ,pilot
 program  7#a7 ,in general ,beginning   
not later than #baj days after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
carry out a pilot program to treat      
eligible veterans suffering from        
depression1 anxiety1 post-traumatic     
stress disorder1 military sexual trauma1
 or substance use disorder1 or a        

combination thereof1 who are already    
receiving evidence-based therapy from   
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  
7#b7 ,computerized cognitive behavioral 
therapy ,in carrying out the pilot      
program under paragraph 7#a71 the       
,secretary may use computerized         
cognitive behavioral therapy to treat   
eligible veterans4  7#c7 ,continuation  
of programs ,the ,secretary may-- 7,a7  
continue any cognitive behavioral       
therapy programs in place on or before  
the date of the enactment of this ,act2 
and  7,b7 may use data or other         
observations under any such programs in 
making the assessment required under    
subsection 7h77#a74  7b7 ,eligible      
veterans ,a veteran is eligible to      
participate in the pilot program under  
subsection 7a7 if the veteran is        
enrolled in the system of patient       
enrollment of the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs established and      
operated under section #agje7;a7 of     
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  7c7  

,duration ,the ,secretary shall carry   
out the pilot program under subsection  
7a7 for a two-year period beginning on  
the commencement of the program4  7d7   
,locations  7#a7 ,in general ,the       
,secretary shall select not fewer than  
three facilities of the ,department of  
,veterans ,affairs at which to carry out
 the pilot program under subsection 7a74
  7#b7 ,selection criteria ,in selecting
 facilities under paragraph 7#a71 the   
,secretary shall ensure that-- 7,a7 the 
locations are in geographically diverse 
areas2 and  7,b7 not fewer than two     
facilities serve veterans in rural or   
highly rural areas4  7e7 ,access to chat
 ,in carrying out the pilot program     
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary    
shall ensure that veterans participating
 in the pilot program have access via   
chat to a mental health provider #bd    
hours per day1 seven days per week4  7f7
 ,promotion of veterans crisis line ,the
 ,secretary shall promote the           
availability of the ,veterans ,crisis   

,line to veterans participating in the  
pilot program under subsection 7a74  7g7
 ,department website ,in implementing   
the pilot program under subsection 7a71 
the ,secretary1 to the extent feasible1 
shall use a website of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs to host the pilot 
program4  7h7 ,reports  7#a7 ,interim   
report  7,a7 ,in general ,not later than
 one year after the commencement of the 
pilot program under subsection 7a71 the 
,secretary shall submit to the          
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives a report on the        
progress of the pilot program4  7,b7    
,elements ,the report required by       
subparagraph 7,a7 shall include the     
following3 7i7 ,the number of           
participants in the pilot program and   
the number of persons whose experience  
in any other online cognitive behavioral
 therapy programs conducted by the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs were  

used in the assessment under clause     
7ii74  7ii7 ,an assessment of whether   
participation by a veteran in the pilot 
program resulted in any changes in      
clinically relevant endpoints for the   
veteran with respect to the conditions  
specified in subsection 7a77#a74  7iii7 
,any recommendations of the ,secretary  
with respect to extending or expanding  
the pilot program4  7#b7 ,final report  
,not later than #ij days after the      
termination of the pilot program under  
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
submit to the ,committee on ,veterans'  
,affairs of the ,senate and the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives a final     
report on the pilot program4  7i7       
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term highly rural area has the meaning 
given that term in section              
#agjc7;i77#b77;,b7 of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code4  7#b7 ,the term         
,veterans ,crisis ,line means the       
toll-free hotline for veterans          

established under section #agbj;,f7h7 of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4