,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adfh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bi1    
#bjba,mr4 ,tester 7for himself and ,mr4 
,moran7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs to expand the ,rural 
,access ,network for ,growth            
,enhancement ,program of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs and to direct the
 ,comptroller ,general of the ,united   
,states to conduct a study to assess    
certain mental health care resources of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
available to veterans who live in rural 
areas4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may 
be cited as the ,sgt4 ,ketchum ,rural   
,veterans ,mental ,health ,act of #bjba4
  #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7  
,the term covered mental health care    
means mental health care that is more   
intensive than traditional outpatient   
therapy4  7#b7 ,the term ,,prr center   

means a psychosocial rehabilitation and 
recovery center of the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs4  7#c7 ,the term     
,,range ,program means the ,rural       
,access ,network for ,growth            
,enhancement ,program of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#d7 ,the term 
rural veteran means a veteran who lives 
in a rural or highly rural area         
7including such an area in a ,tribal or 
insular area71 as determined through the
 use of the ,rural-,urban ,commuting    
,areas coding system of the ,department 
of ,agriculture4  #c4 ,expansion of     
,rural ,access ,network for ,growth     
,enhancement ,program of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,expansion  
,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall establish and maintain three new  
centers of the ,,range ,program4  7b7   
,locations ,the centers established     
under subsection 7a7 shall be located in
 areas determined by the ,secretary     
based on-- 7#a7 the need for additional 
mental health care for rural veterans in

 such areas2 and  7#b7 interest         
expressed by personnel at facilities of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs in
 such areas4  7c7 ,timeline ,the        
,secretary shall establish the centers  
under subsection 7a7 during fiscal year 
#bjbb4  7d7 ,funding ,there is          
authorized to be appropriated to the    
,secretary #a1bjj1jjj for each of fiscal
 years #bjbb through #bjbd to carry out 
this section4  #d4 ,comptroller ,general
 study on mental health care furnished  
by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs 
to rural veterans  7a7 ,study required  
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,comptroller      
,general of the ,united ,states shall   
conduct a study to assess whether the   
,department of ,veterans ,affairs has   
sufficient resources to serve rural     
veterans who need covered mental health 
care4  7#b7 ,elements ,the study        
required under paragraph 7#a7 shall     
include an assessment of-- 7,a7 whether 
the mental health care furnished by the 
,secretary through resources including  

the ,,range ,program1 ,enhanced ,,range 
,program1 mental health residential     
rehabilitation treatment programs1      
inpatient mental health services1 and   
,,prr centers is sufficient to meet the 
covered mental health care needs of     
rural veterans2  7,b7 how best to expand
 and to appropriately locate mental     
health resources described in           
subparagraph 7,a72  7,c7 whether to     
require the establishment of a ,,prr    
center at a medical facility of the     
,department that serves #a1jjj or more  
veterans who are on the ,national       
,psychosis ,registry2  7,d7 the demand  
by rural veterans for mental health     
resources specified in subparagraph     
7,a72  7,e7 the average wait time for a 
rural veteran for mental health         
resources specified in subparagraph     
7,a72 and  7,f7 during the term of the  
study1 how many rural veterans died by  
suicide or overdose while on a wait list
 for mental health resources specified  
in subparagraph 7,a74  7b7 ,report      

required ,not later than #ah months     
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,comptroller ,general shall   
submit to the ,committee on ,veterans'  
,affairs of the ,senate and the         
,committee on ,veterans ',affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives a report    
containing the results of the study     
conducted under subsection 7a74