,,ii ,cal5d> ,no4 #bhg #aai? ,,congress 
#a/ ,session  ,s4 #gjb  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate 
,,( ,,! ,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,febru>y #be1  
#bjbe,mr4 ,cornyn 7= himself1 ,ms4      
,hassan1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,fett]man1  
,mr4 ,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,b5net1 ,mr4 ,pet]s1
 ,ms4 ,coll9s1 & ,mr4 ,w>nock7 introduc$
 ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read twice &      
ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,vet]ans'     
,affairs  ,decemb] #i1 #bjbe,report$ by 
,mr4 ,moran1 )\t am5dm5t  ,a ,,bill  ,to
 require a /udy on ! quality ( c>e      
diff]5ce betwe5 m5tal heal? & addiction 
!rapy c>e provid$ by heal? c>e provid]s 
( ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs comp>$
 to non-,dep>tm5t provid]s1 & = o!r     
purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may
 be cit$ z ! ,vet]ans ,m5tal ,heal? &   
,addiction ,!rapy ,quality ( ,c>e ,act4 
#b4 ,/udy on quality ( c>e diff]5ce     
betwe5 m5tal heal? & addiction !rapy c>e
 provid$ by heal? c>e provid]s (        
,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs comp>$ to 
non-,dep>tm5t provid]s  7a7 ,9 g5]al ,n 
lat] ?an #ij days aft] ! date ( !       

enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 ! ,secret>y (      
,vet]ans ,affairs %all seek to ent] into
 an agreem5t ) an indep5d5t & objective 
organization outside ! ,dep>tm5t (      
,vet]ans ,affairs "u :i* t organization 
%all-- 7#a7 conduct a /udy on ! quality 
( c>e diff]5ce betwe5 m5tal heal? &     
addiction !rapy c>e "u ! laws adm9i/]$  
by ! ,secret>y provid$ by heal? c>e     
provid]s ( ! ,dep>tm5t comp>$ to        
non-,dep>tm5t provid]s across v>i\s     
modalities1 su* z teleheal?1 9-pati5t1  
int5sive out-pati5t1 out-pati5t1 &      
resid5tial treatm5t2 &  7#b7 submit to !
 ,committee on ,vet]ans' ,affairs ( !   
,s5ate & ! ,committee on ,vet]ans'      
,affairs ( ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives &  
publi% on a publicly available website a
 report conta9+ ! f9al results ( su*    
/udy4  7b7 ,tim+ ,! ,secret>y %all      
ensure t ! organization ) :i* !         
,secret>y ent]s into an agreem5t        
pursuant to subsection 7a7 is able to   
complete ! requirem5ts "u su* subsection
 by n lat] ?an #ah mon?s aft] ! date on 

:i* ! agreem5t is ent]$ into4  7c7      
,elem5ts ,! report submitt$ pursuant to 
subsection 7a77#b7 %all include an      
assessm5t ( ! foll[+3 7#a7 ,! am\nt (   
improvem5t 9 heal? outcomes f />t (     
treatm5t to completion1 includ+ symptom 
scores & suicide risk us+ evid5ce-bas$  
scales1 includ+ ! ,columbia-,suicide    
,sev]ity ,rat+ ,scale4  7#b7 ,:e!r      
provid]s ( ! ,dep>tm5t & non-,dep>tm5t  
provid]s are us+ evid5ce-bas$ practices 
9 ! treatm5t ( m5tal heal? & addiction  
!rapy c>e1 includ+ crit]ia set =? by !  
,am]ican ,society ( ,addiction ,m$ic9e4 
7#c7 ,pot5tial gaps 9 coord9ation betwe5
 provid]s ( ! ,dep>tm5t & non-,dep>tm5t 
provid]s 9 respond+ to individuals seek+
 m5tal heal? or addiction !rapy c>e1    
includ+ ! %>+ ( pati5t heal? records4   
7#d7 ,implem5tation ( vet]an-c5tric c>e1
 includ+ ! level ( satisfaction (       
pati5ts ) c>e & ! compet5cy ( provid]s )
 ! unique exp]i5ces & ne$s ( ! milit>y &
 vet]an population4  7#e7 ,:e!r vet]ans 
) co-occurr+ conditions receive         

integrat$ c>e to holi/ically address _! 
ne$s4  7#f7 ,:e!r provid]s monitor heal?
 outcomes cont9ually ?r\gh\t treatm5t & 
at regul> int]vals = up to ?ree ye>s    
aft] treatm5t4  7#g7 ,! av]age l5g? ( "t
 to initiate s]vices1 :i* %all include a
 comp>ison ( ! av]age l5g? ( "t betwe5 !
 initial po9t ( contact aft] pati5t     
outrea* to ! po9t ( initial s]vice1 z   
measur$ or det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y4      
,decemb] #i1 #bjbe,report$ )\t am5dm5t