,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #caid  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #d1  
#bjba,mr4 ,boozman 7for himself1 ,ms4   
,smith1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1   
and ,mr4 ,cotton7 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 submit to ,congress a report
 on mental health care furnished by the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs in    
certain ,states and a report on funding 
by ,vet ,centers of marketing and       
outreach4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,vet ,center        
,support ,act4  #b4 ,definitions ,in    
this ,act3 7#a7 ,appropriate committees 
of ,congress ,the term appropriate      
committees of ,congress means the       
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,house of    
,representatives4  7#b7 ,covered ,state 

,the term covered ,state means each     
,state 7including the ,district of      
,columbia1 ,puerto ,rico1 and any       
territory or possession of the ,united  
,states7 that has a ratio of one or     
fewer ,vet ,centers per #ajj1jjj or more
 veterans who reside in such ,state 7as 
such population is determined by the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 acting
 through the ,national ,center for      
,veterans ,analysis and ,statistics1 for
 fiscal year #bjba74  7#c7 ,vet ,center 
,the term ,vet ,center-- 7,a7 has the   
meaning given that term in section      
#agab;,a of title #ch1 ,united ,states  
,code2  7,b7 includes ,vet ,center      
outstations2 and  7,c7 does not include 
mobile ,vet ,centers4  #c4 ,report on   
mental health care furnished by         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs in    
certain ,states  7a7 ,in general ,not   
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
submit to the appropriate committees of 

,congress a report regarding mental     
health care furnished by the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs to veterans in   
each covered ,state4  7b7 ,elements ,the
 report under subsection 7a7 shall      
include1 with respect to each covered   
,state1 the following3 7#a7 ,an         
assessment of the ability of the        
,department to furnish to veterans in   
such ,state-- 7,a7 readjustment         
counseling2  7,b7 therapy for           
post-traumatic stress disorder and other
 trauma-related therapy2  7,c7 group    
counseling2  7,d7 marriage and family   
counseling2  7,e7 military sexual trauma
 counseling2  7,f7 bereavement          
counseling2  7,g7 screenings and        
referrals for medical issues2  7,h7     
substance abuse assessments and         
referrals2  7,i7 employment assessments 
and referrals2 and  7,j7 explanations   
and referrals regarding benefits        
furnished through the ,veterans         
,benefits ,administration of the        
,department4  7#b7 ,an assessment of the

 feasibility of establishing additional 
,vet ,centers in such ,state4  7#c7 ,an 
assessment of the feasibility of        
increasing staff at existing ,vet       
,centers in such ,state to ensure       
comprehensive coverage4  7#d7 ,an       
assessment of any barriers faced by such
 ,state regarding-- 7,a7 demonstrating a
 need for additional ,vet ,centers1     
mobile ,vet ,centers1 and community     
access points2  7,b7 including travel   
time as a measure of productivity while 
conducting outreach to underserved      
areas2 and  7,c7 building a new ,vet    
,center4  7#e7 ,an analysis of staffing 
shortages at ,vet ,centers in such      
,state1 including delays in approving   
and processing new hires4  7#f7 ,an     
outreach strategy for using mobile ,vet 
,centers1 ,vet ,center outstations1 and 
community access points to ensure that  
mental health care services reach       
veterans in underserved areas in such   
,state4  #d4 ,report on marketing and   
outreach funding by ,vet ,centers  7a7  

,in general ,not later than #ahj days   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs shall submit to the appropriate
 committees of ,congress a report       
regarding funding by ,vet ,centers in   
covered ,states of marketing and        
outreach4  7b7 ,elements ,the report    
under subsection 7a7 shall include1 with
 respect to each covered ,state1 the    
following3 7#a7 ,an accounting of       
marketing and outreach funding for each 
,vet ,center in such ,state4  7#b7 ,an  
assessment of the adequacy of the       
marketing and outreach funds for each   
,vet ,center in such ,state1 including  
the ability of each such ,vet ,center to
 connect with veterans about services   
provided4  7#c7 ,an analysis of         
effectiveness of each ,vet ,center in   
such ,state to market and conduct       
outreach4  7#d7 ,a marketing and        
outreach strategy for ,vet ,centers to  
ensure that local resources are         
effectively utilized to connect with the

 local veteran community in such ,state4