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116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 8144
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 Affairs, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
Mrs. HAYES (for herself, Mr. STEUBE, Mr. RYAN, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. BISHOP
of Georgia, Mr. RUSH, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. ROUDA, Mr. CAR-
SON of Indiana, Ms. WILD, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. HIMES, Ms. LEE of
California, Mr. SOTO, and Mr. CA´RDENAS) introduced the following bill;
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 Affairs, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Mental Health
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Staffing Act’’.
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•HR 8144 IH
SEC. 2. STAFFING IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR MENTAL
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HEALTH PROVIDERS OF DEPARTMENT OF
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VETERANS AFFAIRS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the
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date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet-
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erans Affairs, in consultation with the Inspector General
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of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall submit to the
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Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the
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Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
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resentatives a plan to address staffing of mental health
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providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including
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filling any open positions.
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(b) ELEMENTS.—The plan required by subsection (a)
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shall include the following:
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(1) An estimate of the number of positions for
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mental health providers of the Department that need
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to be filled to meet demand.
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(2) An identification of the steps that the Sec-
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retary will take to address mental health staffing for
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the Department.
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(3) A description of any region-specific hiring
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incentives to be used by the Secretary in consulta-
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tion with the directors of Veterans Integrated Serv-
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ice Networks and medical centers of the Depart-
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ment.
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•HR 8144 IH
(4) A description of any local retention or en-
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gagement incentives to be used by directors of Vet-
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erans Integrated Service Networks.
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(5) Such recommendations for legislative or ad-
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ministrative action as the Secretary considers nec-
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essary to aid in addressing mental health staffing
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for the Department.
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(c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the sub-
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mittal of the plan required by subsection (a), the Secretary
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shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the
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Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the
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House of Representatives a report setting forth the num-
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ber of mental health providers hired by the Department
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during the one-year period preceding the submittal of the
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report.
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Æ
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