Building Supportive Networks for Women Veterans Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2798 To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated from service in the Armed Forces. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 16, 2019 Ms. BROWNLEY of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated from service in the Armed Forces. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Building Supportive 4 Networks for Women Veterans Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:46 May 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2798.IH H2798 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 2798 IH SEC. 2. COUNSELING IN RETREAT SETTINGS FOR WOMEN 1 VETERANS NEWLY SEPARATED FROM SERV- 2 ICE IN THE ARMED FORCES. 3 (a) PERMANENT PROGRAM.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, 5 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 6 section 1712C the following new section: 7 ‘‘§ 1712D. Counseling in retreat settings for women 8 veterans newly separated 9 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM.—(1) Commencing on January 1, 10 2021, the Secretary shall carry out, through the Readjust- 11 ment Counseling Service of the Veterans Health Adminis- 12 tration, a program to provide reintegration and readjust- 13 ment services described in subsection (b) in group retreat 14 settings to women veterans who are recently separated 15 from service in the Armed Forces after a prolonged de- 16 ployment. 17 ‘‘(2) The participation of a veteran in the program 18 under paragraph (1) shall be at the election of the veteran. 19 ‘‘(b) COVERED SERVICES.—The services provided to 20 a woman veteran under the program under subsection 21 (a)(1) shall include the following: 22 ‘‘(1) Information on reintegration into the fam- 23 ily, employment, and community of the veteran. 24 ‘‘(2) Financial counseling. 25 ‘‘(3) Occupational counseling. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:46 May 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2798.IH H2798 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 2798 IH ‘‘(4) Information and counseling on stress re- 1 duction. 2 ‘‘(5) Information and counseling on conflict res- 3 olution. 4 ‘‘(6) Such other information and counseling as 5 the Secretary considers appropriate to assist the vet- 6 eran in reintegration into the family, employment, 7 and community of the veteran. 8 ‘‘(c) BIENNIAL REPORTS.—Not later than December 9 31, 2022, and each even-numbered year thereafter, the 10 Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af- 11 fairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 12 report on the program under subsection (a)(1).’’. 13 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec- 14 tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 15 by inserting after the item relating to section 1712C 16 the following new item: 17 ‘‘1712D. Counseling in retreat settings for women veterans newly separated.’’. (b) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Effective December 31, 18 2020, section 203 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omni- 19 bus Health Services Act of 2010 (38 U.S.C. 1712A note) 20 is repealed. 21 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:46 May 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2798.IH H2798 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS