,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hadd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #a1 #bjbj 
,mrs4 ,hayes 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,steube1
 ,mr4 ,ryan1 ,mr4 ,morelle1 ,mr4 ,bishop
 of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1
 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4 ,rouda1 ,mr4 ,carson 
of ,indiana1 ,ms4 ,wild1 ,mr4           
,o',halleran1 ,mr4 ,himes1 ,ms4 ,lee of 
,california1 ,mr4 ,soto1 and ,mr4       
,crdenas7 introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
direct the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs to submit to ,congress a plan  
to address staffing of mental health    
providers of the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,,va ,mental ,health
 ,staffing ,act4  #b4 ,staffing         
improvement plan for mental health      
providers of ,department of ,veterans   
,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,not later    
than one year after the date of the     

enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs1 in consultation  
with the ,inspector ,general of the     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 shall
 submit to the ,committee on ,veterans' 
,affairs of the ,senate and the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives a plan to   
address staffing of mental health       
providers of the ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs1 including filling   
any open positions4  7b7 ,elements ,the 
plan required by subsection 7a7 shall   
include the following3 7#a7 ,an estimate
 of the number of positions for mental  
health providers of the ,department that
 need to be filled to meet demand4  7#b7
 ,an identification of the steps that   
the ,secretary will take to address     
mental health staffing for the          
,department4  7#c7 ,a description of any
 region-specific hiring incentives to be
 used by the ,secretary in consultation 
with the directors of ,veterans         
,integrated ,service ,networks and      

medical centers of the ,department4     
7#d7 ,a description of any local        
retention or engagement incentives to be
 used by directors of ,veterans         
,integrated ,service ,networks4  7#e7   
,such recommendations for legislative or
 administrative action as the ,secretary
 considers necessary to aid in          
addressing mental health staffing for   
the ,department4  7c7 ,report ,not later
 than one year after the submittal of   
the plan required by 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 setting forth 
the number of mental health providers   
hired by the ,department during the     
one-year period preceding the submittal 
of the report4