S.Amdt. 3654
What it does: Inserts new text on page 128, between lines 10 and 11
Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA)What it changes
1 change to H.R. 4939
Inserts new text on page 128, between lines 10 and 11
InsertsPrinted pageInserted: DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Inserted: Support for mental health and readjustment programs
Inserted: Sec. 1601. Congress makes the following findings:
Inserted: (1) Not all the wounds caused by war are physical.
Inserted: (2) In July of 2004, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that one of every six combat veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan showed symptoms of major depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Inserted: (3) A more recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 19.1 percent of returning veterans from Iraq, and 11.3 percent of veterans returning from Afghanistan, reported mental health problems.
Inserted: (4) Historic experience reveals that soldiers will return from war having to cope with a range of emotional issues, regardless of whether or not they are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Inserted: (5) Care for veterans is an ongoing cost of war.
Inserted: (6) The New Hampshire National Guard pioneered a new approach to meeting the mental health and readjustment needs of its soldiers.
Inserted: (7) The New Hampshire model stipulates that as part of a comprehensive return and readjustment program, members of the National Guard receive individual counseling with counselors from Vet Centers who specialize in treating war trauma and related readjustment issues.
Inserted: (8) The counseling is both mandatory and confidential, destroying any stigma associated with seeking help for emotional mental health problems.
Inserted: (9) Of the first 810 soldiers to pass through the screening process, nearly 200 have received counseling.
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Inserted: (10) Counselors at Vet Centers are highly trained in readjustment counseling. Sixty percent of the counselors in Vets Centers are veterans themselves, 40 percent are combat veterans, and all are very experienced with helping veterans and their families deal with the challenges of readjustment.
Inserted: (11) The greatest obstacle to the adoption of the New Hampshire program nationwide is the lack of resources available to Vet Centers.
Inserted: (12) In fiscal year 2004, Vet Centers served 125,859 veterans in more than 1,000,000 visits.
Inserted: (13) Even without the war in Iraq, Vet Centers were already overloaded with cases.
Inserted: (14) In fiscal year 2005, Vet Centers were expected to provide services to nearly 14,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in almost 44,000 office visits, and more than 3,800 of these veterans had post-traumatic stress disorder.
Inserted: (15) As of the end of February 2006, Vet Centers provided services to 70,547 veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006.
Inserted: medical services For an additional amount for "Medical Services", $100,000,000, for the Readjustment Counseling Services of the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand transition programs, increase screening for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and expand resources available for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.
Original wording
On page 128, between lines 10 and 11, insert the following:
Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.
As printed
SA 3654. Mr. REID (for Mr. Kerry) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 4939, making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
On page 128, between lines 10 and 11, insert the following:
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Support for mental health and readjustment programs
Sec. 1601. Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Not all the wounds caused by war are physical.
(2) In July of 2004, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that one of every six combat veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan showed symptoms of major depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
(3) A more recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 19.1 percent of returning veterans from Iraq, and 11.3 percent of veterans returning from Afghanistan, reported mental health problems.
(4) Historic experience reveals that soldiers will return from war having to cope with a range of emotional issues, regardless of whether or not they are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
(5) Care for veterans is an ongoing cost of war.
(6) The New Hampshire National Guard pioneered a new approach to meeting the mental health and readjustment needs of its soldiers.
(7) The New Hampshire model stipulates that as part of a comprehensive return and readjustment program, members of the National Guard receive individual counseling with counselors from Vet Centers who specialize in treating war trauma and related readjustment issues.
(8) The counseling is both mandatory and confidential, destroying any stigma associated with seeking help for emotional mental health problems.
(9) Of the first 810 soldiers to pass through the screening process, nearly 200 have received counseling.
(10) Counselors at Vet Centers are highly trained in readjustment counseling. Sixty percent of the counselors in Vets Centers are veterans themselves, 40 percent are combat veterans, and all are very experienced with helping veterans and their families deal with the challenges of readjustment.
(11) The greatest obstacle to the adoption of the New Hampshire program nationwide is the lack of resources available to Vet Centers.
(12) In fiscal year 2004, Vet Centers served 125,859 veterans in more than 1,000,000 visits.
(13) Even without the war in Iraq, Vet Centers were already overloaded with cases.
(14) In fiscal year 2005, Vet Centers were expected to provide services to nearly 14,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in almost 44,000 office visits, and more than 3,800 of these veterans had post-traumatic stress disorder.
(15) As of the end of February 2006, Vet Centers provided services to 70,547 veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006.
medical services
For an additional amount for “Medical Services”, $100,000,000, for the Readjustment Counseling Services of the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand transition programs, increase screening for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and expand resources available for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.
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Senate amendment submitted
April 26, 2006