Vet Center Eligibility Expansion Act

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 1812, as amended, the Vet Center Eligibility Expansion Act.

Every day, 20 of those who have worn our Nation's uniform die by suicide. Of those 20 deaths, each one is a tragedy.

There are approximately four deaths among Active-Duty servicemembers and nonactivated members of the National Guard and Reserve.

The number of suicides among never federally activated members of the National Guard and Reserve, in particular, has increased from 2005 to 2016, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs' most recent suicide data.

Many of these men and women have stepped up to serve their communities and our country honorably in dangerous and unpredictable situations. That service can have an understandable impact on mental health, but because they may not meet the legal definition of a veteran due to the nature of their service, these individuals may not be eligible for care from the VA.

This bill would address that issue by expanding eligibility for counseling and care at VA Vet Centers to those in the Reserve, National Guard, or Coast Guard who served in response to emergency situations in the wake of a disaster or civil disorder or support of drug interdiction operations who never deployed.

VA's 300 Vet Centers are community-based facilities that provide readjustment counseling services to Active-Duty servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Vet Center employees, many of whom are veterans themselves, are on the forefront of the fight to prevent suicide among servicemembers and veterans, to assure their successful transition following the military, and to assist them in recovering from whatever trauma or challenges they may be facing.

I am proud to sponsor this bill and grateful to Congressman Mike Levin from California for joining me as an original cosponsor.

I am also grateful to the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America for their support of this legislation.

It is my sincere hope that this bill will allow all of those who served in the National Guard, the Coast Guard, or the Reserve component to get the

help they need and lower the number of suicides among this population of heroes.

Madam Speaker, before reserving, I do want to note my surprise that the bill received a discretionary score of $55 million over 5 years from the Congressional Budget Office.

It appears that CBO estimated that VA would need to create costly new capacity within the Vet Centers to care for those individuals newly eligible in this bill.

Madam Speaker, I have been to many Vet Centers, and the brick and mortar is already there. You don't have to do anything. The personnel are there. So there would be, if any, minimal costs.

However, I understand from VA that excess capacity exists within the Vet Centers that this bill would help fill, at little additional cost to the Department. I hope that could be taken into account for this bill, moving forward.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this bill today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this. I think it is a great step forward for our Guard and Reservists.

I will just pass along a quick story of one of the reasons why I have pushed this so hard. In my Tennessee Guard at home, my previous commander said that in the first 45 days he commanded the Tennessee Guard, he had four suicides. He knew he had to do something, so he instituted a program there to help lower veteran suicides.

We have lowered our suicide rate among our Tennessee guardsmen by 70 percent. We would like to make sure that all Guard and Reservists have access to the benefits they need, the therapy they need, and the help they need for their families by allowing them to get this help at the vet center.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1812) to amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish Vet Center readjustment counseling and related mental health services to certain individuals, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 1812.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, the VA is authorized to provide counseling through Vet Centers to a broad group of veterans and servicemembers. These veterans and servicemembers include National Guard and Reserve members, those who have served on Active Duty in any combat theater or area of hostility, veterans and servicemembers who experienced military sexual trauma, those who provided direct emergent medical care or mortuary services to casualties of war, or servicemembers and veterans who deployed to combat zones or areas of hostility in a direct support role.

However, members of the National Guard, Reserve, or Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction or who served in a response to a national emergency, major disaster, or civil disorder are currently not eligible to receive Vet Center care. This is all despite the effects such experiences can have on mental health.

H.R. 1812, as amended, the Vet Center Eligibility Expansion Act, introduced by Ranking Member Roe, would correct this oversight by extending eligibility for Vet Center care to these individuals.

It would also require the VA to submit a plan to Congress for providing Vet Center services to geographical areas in which no Vet Centers are located. These areas include territories of the United States, rural, and insular areas.

By assessing the steps necessary to provide access to Vet Centers for veterans living in these underserved areas, the Vet Center Eligibility Expansion Act is ensuring veterans, servicemembers, reservists, and members of the Coast Guard and National Guard are allowed access to the lifesaving services Vet Centers provide.

This legislation increases access to services that provide early intervention for mental healthcare issues, which can reduce the risks associated with suicide.

The sad statistics show that, of the 20 veterans and military servicemembers who die by suicide, 14 of those 20 have not received VA healthcare. This bill is one step towards changing this tragic number.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Dr. Roe, for his work on this important measure, and I call upon all of our colleagues to join us in voting ``yes'' on this life-changing piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Levin), my good friend and fellow Californian, the chairman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, and also a cosponsor of H.R. 1812.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues in the House to support H.R. 1812, as amended, so we can finally pass it into law and get justice for these veterans.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1812, the Vet Center Eligibility Expansion Act.

Madam Speaker, I was proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with my friend from Tennessee and ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Dr. Roe.

We must do more to address the epidemic of suicide among veterans in this country. We can start with ensuring all servicemembers have the mental health support they need.

Currently, most National Guard, Coast Guard, and Reserve servicemembers are precluded from receiving readjustment counseling services at vet centers. Guardsmen and Reservists often face emotionally challenging deployments to natural disasters, drug interdiction missions, national emergencies, or civil disorders that can have serious mental health consequences.

This bipartisan legislation is an important step in closing the mental healthcare gap for those servicemembers who compose four of the 20 veteran suicides we see each day in this country. As we continue to see veterans turn to suicide, often on the grounds of VA facilities, we must have an all-hands-on-deck approach, and this bill can play a critical role in this effort.