PUBLIC LAW 116–171—OCT. 17, 2020 COMMANDER JOHN SCOTT HANNON VETERANS MENTAL HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2019 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:11 Oct 22, 2020 Jkt 019139 PO 00171 Frm 00001 Fmt 6579 Sfmt 6579 E:\PUBLAW\PUBL171.116 PUBL171 dkrause on LAP5T8D0R2PROD with PUBLAWS 134 STAT. 778 PUBLIC LAW 116–171—OCT. 17, 2020 Public Law 116–171 116th Congress An Act To improve mental health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019’’. (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. TITLE I—IMPROVEMENT OF TRANSITION OF INDIVIDUALS TO SERVICES FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Sec. 101. Strategic plan on expansion of health care coverage for veterans transitioning from service in the Armed Forces. Sec. 102. Review of records of former members of the Armed Forces who die by sui- cide within one year of separation from the Armed Forces. Sec. 103. Report on REACH VET program of Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 104. Report on care for former members of the Armed Forces with other than honorable discharge. TITLE II—SUICIDE PREVENTION Sec. 201. Financial assistance to certain entities to provide or coordinate the provi- sion of suicide prevention services for eligible individuals and their fami- lies. Sec. 202. Analysis on feasibility and advisability of the Department of Veterans Af- fairs providing certain complementary and integrative health services. Sec. 203. Pilot program to provide veterans access to complementary and integra- tive health programs through animal therapy, agritherapy, sports and recreation therapy, art therapy, and posttraumatic growth programs. Sec. 204. Department of Veterans Affairs study of all-cause mortality of veterans, including by suicide, and review of staffing levels of mental health pro- fessionals. Sec. 205. Comptroller General report on management by Department of Veterans Affairs of veterans at high risk for suicide. TITLE III—PROGRAMS, STUDIES, AND GUIDELINES ON MENTAL HEALTH Sec. 301. Study on connection between living at high altitude and suicide risk fac- tors among veterans. Sec. 302. Establishment by Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of De- fense of a clinical provider treatment toolkit and accompanying training materials for comorbidities. Sec. 303. Update of clinical practice guidelines for assessment and management of patients at risk for suicide. Sec. 304. Establishment by Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of De- fense of clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of serious mental illness. Sec. 305. Precision medicine initiative of Department of Veterans Affairs to identify and validate brain and mental health biomarkers. Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019. 38 USC 101 note. Oct. 17, 2020 [S. 785] VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:11 Oct 22, 2020 Jkt 019139 PO 00171 Frm 00002 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6582 E:\PUBLAW\PUBL171.116 PUBL171 dkrause on LAP5T8D0R2PROD with PUBLAWS 134 STAT. 779 PUBLIC LAW 116–171—OCT. 17, 2020 Sec. 306. Statistical analyses and data evaluation by Department of Veterans Af- fairs. TITLE IV—OVERSIGHT OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND RELATED SERVICES Sec. 401. Study on effectiveness of suicide prevention and mental health outreach programs of Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 402. Oversight of mental health and suicide prevention media outreach con- ducted by Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 403. Comptroller General management review of mental health and suicide prevention services of Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 404. Comptroller General report on efforts of Department of Veterans Affairs to integrate mental health care into primary care clinics. Sec. 405. Joint mental health programs by Department of Veterans Affairs and De- partment of Defense. TITLE V—IMPROVEMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH MEDICAL WORKFORCE Sec. 501. Staffing improvement plan for mental health providers of Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 502. Establishment of Department of Veterans Affairs Readjustment Coun- seling Service Scholarship Program. Sec. 503. Comptroller General report on Readjustment Counseling Service of De- partment of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 504. Expansion of reporting requirements on Readjustment Counseling Service of Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 505. Briefing on alternative work schedules for employees of Veterans Health Administration. Sec. 506. Suicide prevention coordinators. Sec. 507. Report on efforts by Department of Veterans Affairs to implement safety planning in emergency departments. TITLE VI—IMPROVEMENT OF CARE AND SERVICES FOR WOMEN VETERANS Sec. 601. Expansion of capabilities of Women Veterans Call Center to include text messaging. Sec. 602. Requirement for Department of Veterans Affairs internet website to pro- vide information on services available to women veterans. TITLE VII—OTHER MATTERS Sec. 701. Expanded telehealth from Department of Veterans Affairs. Sec. 702. Partnerships with non-Federal Government entities to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy to veterans and studies on the use of such therapy for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Sec. 703. Prescription of technical qualifications for licensed hearing aid specialists and requirement for appointment of such specialists. Sec. 704. Use by Department of Veterans Affairs of commercial institutional review boards in sponsored research trials. Sec. 705. Creation of Office of Research Reviews within the Office of Information and Technology of the Department of Veterans Affairs. TITLE I—IMPROVEMENT OF TRANSI- TION OF INDIVIDUALS TO SERVICES FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS SEC. 101. STRATEGIC PLAN ON EXPANSION OF HEALTH CARE COV- ERAGE FOR VETERANS TRANSITIONING FROM SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES. (a) STRATEGIC PLAN.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress and publish on a Deadline. Consultation. Web posting. Time period. VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:11 Oct 22, 2020 Jkt 019139 PO 00171 Frm 00003 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6581 E:\PUBLAW\PUBL171.116 PUBL171 dkrause on LAP5T8D0R2PROD with PUBLAWS 134 STAT. 780 PUBLIC LAW 116–171—OCT. 17, 2020 website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a strategic plan for the provision by the Department of health care to any veteran during the one-year period following the discharge or release of the veteran from active military, naval, or air service. (2) ELEMENTS.—The plan submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the following: (A) An identification of general goals and objectives for the provision of health care to veterans described in such paragraph. (B) A description of how such goals and objectives are to be achieved, including— (i) a description of the use of existing personnel, information, technology, facilities, public and private partnerships, and other resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs; (ii) a description of the anticipated need for addi- tional resources for the Department; and (iii) an assessment of cost. (C) An analysis of the anticipated health care needs, including mental health care, for such veterans, disaggregated by geographic area. (D) An analysis of whether such veterans are eligible for enrollment in the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department under section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code. (E) A description of activities designed to promote the availability of health care from the Department for such veterans, including outreach to members of the Armed Forces though the Transition Assistance Program under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code. (F) A description of legislative or administrative action required to carry out the plan. (G) A description of how the plan would further the ongoing initiatives under Executive Order 13822 (83 Fed. Reg. 1513; relating to supporting our veterans during their transition from uniformed service to civilian life) to provide seamless access to high-quality mental health care and suicide prevention resources to veterans as they transition, with an emphasis on the one-year period following separa- tion. (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: (1) ACTIVE MILITARY, NAVAL, OR AIR SERVICE.—The term ‘‘active military, naval, or air service’’ has the meaning given that term in section 101(24) of title 38, United States Code. (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means— (A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Com- mittee on Appropriations of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Com- mittee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. SEC. 102. REVIEW OF RECORDS OF FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO DIE BY SUICIDE WITHIN ONE YEAR OF SEPA- RATION FROM THE ARMED FORCES. (a) REVIEW.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense and the Sec- retary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly review the records of Determination. Time periods. Analysis. Analysis. VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:11 Oct 22, 2020 Jkt 019139 PO 00171 Frm 00004 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6581 E:\PUBLAW\PUBL171.116 PUBL171 dkrause on LAP5T8D0R2PROD with PUBLAWS 134 STAT. 781 PUBLIC LAW 116–171—OCT. 17, 2020 each former member of the Armed Forces who died by suicide, as determined by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, within one year following the discharge or release of the former member from active military, naval, or air service during the five-year period preceding the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) RECORDS TO BE REVIEWED.—In completing the review required under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall review the following records maintained by the Department of Defense: (A) Health treatment records. (B) Fitness, medical, and dental records. (C) Ancillary training records. (D) Safety forms and additional duties sections of the personnel information files. (b) ELEMENTS.—The review required by subsection (a) with respect to a former member of the Armed Forces shall include consideration of the following: (1) Whether the Department of Defense had identified the former member as being at elevated risk during the 365-day period before separation of the member from the Armed Forces. (2) In the case that the member was identified as being at elevated risk as described in paragraph (1), whether that identification had been communicated to the Department of Veterans Affairs via the Solid Start initiative of the Department pursuant to Executive Order 13822 (83 Fed. Reg. 1513; relating to supporting our veterans during their transition from uni- formed service to civilian life), or any other means. (3) The presence of evidence-based and empirically-sup- ported contextual and individual risk factors specified in sub- section (c) with respect to the former member and how those risk factors correlated to the circumstances of the death of the former member. (4) Demographic variables, including the following: (A) Sex. (B) Age. (C) Rank at separation from the Armed Forces. (D) Career field after separation from the Armed Forces. (E) State and county of residence one month prior to death. (F) Branch of service in the Armed Forces. (G) Marital status. (H) Reason for separation from the Armed Forces. (5) Support or medical services furnished to the former member through the Department of Defense, specified by the type of service or care provided. (6) Support or medical services furnished to the former member through the Department of Veterans Affairs, specified by the type of service or care provided. (c) EVIDENCE-BASED AND EMPIRICALLY-SUPPORTED CONTEXTUAL AND INDIVIDUAL RISK FACTORS.—Evidence-based and empirically- supported contextual and individual risk factors specified in this subsection include the following: (1) Exposure to violence. (2) Exposure to suicide. (3) Housing instability. Time period. VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:11 Oct 22, 2020 Jkt 019139 PO 00171 Frm 00005 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6581 E:\PUBLAW\PUBL171.116 PUBL171 dkrause on LAP5T8D0R2PROD with PUBLAWS 134 STAT. 782 PUBLIC LAW 116–171—OCT. 17, 2020 (4) Financial instability. (5) Vocational problems or insecurity. (6) Legal problems. (7) Highly acute or significantly chronic relational prob- lems. (8) Limited access to health care. (d) REPORT.—Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate commit- tees of Congress an aggregated report on the results of the review conducted under subsection (a) with respect to the year-one cohort of former members of the Armed Forces covered by the review. (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: (1) ACTIVE MILITARY, NAVAL, OR AIR SERVICE.—The term ‘‘active military, naval, or air service’’ has the meaning given that term in section 101(24) of title 38, United States Code. (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means— (A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Com- mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Com- mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives. SEC. 103. REPORT ON REACH VET PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 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 the REACH VET program. (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) An assessment of the impact of the REACH VET pro- gram on rates of suicide among veterans. (2) An assessment of how limits within the REACH VET program, such as caps on the number of veterans who may be flagged as high risk, are adjusted for differing rates of suicide across the country. (3) A detailed explanation, with evidence, for why the condi- tions included in the model used by the REACH VET program were chosen, including an explanation as to why certain condi- tions, such as bipolar disorder II, were not included even though they show a similar rate of risk for suicide as other conditions that were included. (4) An assessment of the feasibility of incorporatin [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]