,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hjfh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #ah1         
#bjbj,ms4 ,brownley of ,california 7for 
herself1 ,mr4 ,cole1 and ,ms4 ,torres   
,small of ,new ,mexico7 introduced the  
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,veterans ,affairs to make certain      
improvements relating to mental health  
and suicide prevention outreach to      
minority veterans and ,american ,indian 
and ,alaska ,native veterans1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,american      
,indian and ,alaska ,native ,veterans   
,mental ,health ,act4  #b4 ,mental      
health and suicide prevention outreach  
to minority veterans and ,american      
,indian and ,alaska ,native veterans    
7a7 ,staffing requirement ,beginning not
 later than #ij days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  

ensure that each medical center of the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs has no
 fewer than one full-time employee whose
 responsibility is serving as a minority
 veteran coordinator4  7b7 ,training    
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary1 in consultation with the    
,director of the ,office of ,mental     
,health and ,suicide ,prevention of the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 shall
 ensure that all minority veteran       
coordinators receive training in        
delivery of culturally appropriate      
mental health and suicide prevention    
services to ,american ,indian and       
,alaska ,native veterans1 especially    
with respect to the identified          
populations and tribes within the       
coordinators' catchment areas4  7c7     
,coordination with suicide prevention   
coordinators ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary1 in consultation   
with the ,director of the ,office of    

,mental ,health and ,suicide            
,prevention1 shall ensure that the      
suicide prevention coordinator and      
minority veteran coordinator of each    
medical center of the ,department have  
developed and disseminated to the       
director of the medical center a written
 plan for conducting mental health and  
suicide prevention outreach to all      
tribes and urban ,indian health         
organizations within the catchment area 
of the medical center4 ,each such plan  
shall include for each tribe covered by 
the plan-- 7#a7 contact information for 
tribal leadership and the tribal health 
facility or ,indian ,health ,service    
facility serving that tribe2  7#b7 a    
schedule for and list of outreach plans 
7including addressing any barriers to   
accessing ,department mental health     
care72 and  7#c7 documentation of any   
conversation with tribal leaders that   
may guide culturally appropriate        
delivery of mental health care to       
,american ,indian or ,alaska ,native    

veterans4  7d7 ,report ,not later than  
one year after the enactment of this    
,act1 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 outreach   
efforts to minority veterans and        
,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native   
veterans4 ,such report shall include    
each of the following3 7#a7 ,the number 
of minority veteran coordinators within 
the ,department4  7#b7 ,the number and  
percentage of minority veteran          
coordinators who are women4  7#c7 ,the  
number and percentage of minority       
veteran coordinators who are persons of 
color4  7#d7 ,the number and percentage 
of ,department medical centers with     
minority veteran coordinators4  7#e7    
,the number and percentage of           
,department mental health providers who 
are enrolled members of a federally     
recognized ,indian tribe or             
self-identify as ,native ,american4     

7#f7 ,the number and percentage of      
,department mental health providers who 
speak a second language4  7#g7 ,a review
 of the outreach plans developed and    
submitted to all ,department medical    
centers for outreach to ,american       
,indian and ,alaska ,native veterans4   
7#h7 ,a review of mental health care    
provided annually by the ,department to 
,american ,indian and ,alaska ,native   
veterans for the past three years1      
including number of appointments1 and an
 assessment of any barriers to providing
 this care4