S.Amdt. 2016

1. Adds Subtitle D--Mental Health Personnel and Facilities SEC. 951. SHORT TITLE at the end of title IX

   Adds a section

   Inserted: Subtitle D--Mental Health Personnel and Facilities SEC. 951. SHORT TITLE.

   Inserted: This subtitle may be cited as the "Mental Wellness Facilities and Professional Development Act of 2007".

   Inserted: SEC. 952. EMPLOYMENT BONUSES OF QUALIFIED CIVILIAN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

   Inserted: (a) Employment Bonuses Authorized.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Chapter 81 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1589 the following new section:

   Inserted: "Sec. 1590. Mental health professional positions: employment bonuses

   Inserted: "(a) Bonus Authorized.--The Secretary of Defense may pay an employment bonus under this section to any qualified mental health professional who enters into an agreement to accept employment with the Department of Defense to provide mental health services at a military medical treatment facility specified in such agreement for a period of not less than 12 months.

   Inserted: "(b) Qualifications for Mental Health Professionals.--The Secretary shall prescribe in regulations the qualifications of mental health professionals for eligibility for entry into an agreement under this section.

   Inserted: "(c) Installment Payment.--The amount of the employment bonus payable to a mental health professional entering into an agreement under this section is $25,000, which amount is payable in four equal installments as follows:

   Inserted: "(1) One quarter is payable upon completion by the mental health professional of three months of service under the agreement.

   Inserted: "(2) One quarter is payable upon completion by the mental health professional of six months of service under the agreement.

   Inserted: "(3) One quarter is payable upon completion by the mental health professional of nine months of service under the agreement.

   Show 44 more inserted paragraphsShow less

   Inserted: "(4) One quarter is payable upon completion by the mental health professional of twelve months of service under the agreement.

   Inserted: "(d) Repayment.--(1) A mental health professional entering into an agreement under this section who does not complete the service provided for in the agreement shall repay to the United States an amount equal to the amount of the employment bonus specified in subsection (c) received by the professional under this section.

   Inserted: "(2) The Secretary may waive, whether in whole or in part, the requirement for repayment of an employment bonus under this subsection under such circumstances as the Secretary shall prescribe for purposes of this subsection.

   Inserted: "(3) An obligation to repay the United States under this subsection is, for all purposes, a debt owed the United States. A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11 does not discharge a person from such debt if the discharge order is entered less than five years after the date of the termination of service of the person under an agreement under this section.

   Inserted: "(e) Sunset.--No agreement may be entered into under this section after September 30, 2011.".

   Inserted: (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 81 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1589 the following new item:

   Inserted: "1590. Mental health professional positions: employment bonuses.".

   Inserted: (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection shall take effect on October 1, 2007.

   Inserted: (b) Authorization of Appropriations for Civilian Personnel for Vacant Mental Health Positions.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2008 for Defense Health Program such sums as may be required to fill during such fiscal year all civilian mental health professional positions at the military medical treatment facilities that are vacant at the commencement of fiscal year 2008 or become vacant during that fiscal year.

   Inserted: (2) Supplement not supplant.--The amount authorized to be appropriated by paragraph (1) for fiscal year 2008 for Defense Health Program is in addition to any other amounts authorized to be appropriated by this Act for fiscal year 2008 for that account.

   Inserted: SEC. 953. PILOT PROGRAM ON ADDITIONAL DEPLOYMENT HEALTH CLINICAL CENTERS.

   Inserted: (a) Pilot Program Authorized.--The Secretary of Defense may carry out a pilot program to assess the feasability and advisability of establishing deployment health clinical centers similar to the Deployment Health Clinical Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, District of Columbia, at additional military medical treatment facilities and other appropriate medical facilities and clinics serving members of the Armed Forces.

   Inserted: (b) Establishment of Centers.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall establish at least three, but not more than five, deployment health clinical centers described in subsection (a) at such principal treatment facilities or other facilities or clinics serving members of the Armed Forces as the Secretary shall select for purposes of the pilot program.

   Inserted: (2) Locations.--Of the facilities or clinics selected under paragraph (1)--

   Inserted: (A) at least one facility or clinic shall be located in a State on the East Coast of the United States;

   Inserted: (B) at least one facility or clinic shall be located in a State on the West Coast of the United States; and

   Inserted: (C) at least one facility or clinic shall be located in a State other than a State described in subparagraph (A) or (B).

   Inserted: (c) Services.--Each deployment health clinical center established for purposes of the pilot program shall provide to members of the Armed Forces--

   Inserted: (1) services similar to the services provided to members of the Armed Forces by the Deployment Health Clinical Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; and

   Inserted: (2) such other services as the Secretary shall specify for purposes of the pilot program.

   Inserted: (d) Reports.--

   Inserted: (1) Periodic reports required.--The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives on a periodic basis a report on the pilot program.

   Inserted: (2) Elements.--Each report under paragraph (1) shall include the following, current as of the date of such report:

   Inserted: (A) A description of services provided under the pilot program, including--

   Inserted: (i) a statement of the number of members of the Armed Forces provided services under the pilot program;

   Inserted: (ii) a description of the nature and scope of services provided under the pilot program; and

   Inserted: (iii) an assessment of the extent to which the pilot program has increased the access of members of the Armed Forces to such services.

   Inserted: (B) A separate statement of the number of members of the Armed Forces provided services under the pilot program who receive such services at a facility or location within 500 miles of the permanent duty station, homeport, or residence of such members.

   Inserted: (C) An assessment of the satisfaction of members of the Armed Forces receiving services under the pilot program with such services.

   Inserted: (D) Such recommendations as the Secretary considers appropriate for the extension, expansion, or other modification of the pilot program.

   Inserted: (e) Sunset.--The authority to carry out the pilot program shall expire on September 30, 2011.

   Inserted: SEC. 954. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CIVILIAN STUDENTS PURSUING PROFESSIONAL DEGREES IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

   Inserted: (a) Scholarships Authorized.--The Secretary of Defense may award scholarships to covered individuals who enter into an agreement to serve, upon completion of the program of education for which the scholarship is awarded, as a mental health professional in a military medical treatment facility for not less than one year for each two semesters (or three academic quarters, as applicable) for which such scholarship assistance is awarded.

   Inserted: (b) Covered Individuals.--For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual not employed by the Department of Defense who--

   Inserted: (1) is pursuing a professional degree in mental health services at an institution of higher education approved by the Secretary for purposes of this section; and

   Inserted: (2) meets such additional qualifications as the Secretary may prescribe for purposes of this section.

   Inserted: (c) Scholarship Amount.--The amount of the scholarship awarded a covered individual under this section for a semester or academic quarter may not exceed an amount equal to 50 percent of the tuition of the covered individual for such semester or academic quarter.

   Inserted: (d) Repayment.--

   Inserted: (1) Repayment required.--A covered individual entering into an agreement under this section who does not complete the service provided for in the agreement shall repay to the United States an amount equal to the amount of the scholarship paid the individual under this section.

   Inserted: (2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive, whether in whole or in part, the requirement for repayment of a scholarship under this subsection under such circumstances as the Secretary shall prescribe for purposes of this subsection.

   Inserted: (3) Debt to the united states.--An obligation to repay the United States under this subsection is, for all purposes, a debt owed the United States. A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11, United States Code, does not discharge a person from such debt if the discharge order is entered less than five years after the date of the termination of service of the person under an agreement under this section.

   Inserted: (e) Sunset.--The authority of the Secretary to award scholarships under this section shall expire on the date that is ten years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

   Original wording

   At the end of title IX, add the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed