[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6527 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6527
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the assistance
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to women veterans, to
improve health care furnished by the Department, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 21, 2012
Mr. Larsen of Washington (for himself, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr.
Rangel, Ms. Speier, Mr. Kissell, Mr. Filner, and Ms. Bonamici)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the assistance
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to women veterans, to
improve health care furnished by the Department, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Women Veterans and
Other Health Care Improvements Act of 2012''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Facilitation of reproduction and infertility research.
Sec. 3. Clarification that fertility counseling and treatment are
medical services which the Secretary may
furnish to veterans like other medical
services.
Sec. 4. Reproductive treatment and care delivery for spouses and
surrogates of veterans.
Sec. 5. Requirement to improve Department of Veterans Affairs women
veterans call center.
Sec. 6. Modification of pilot program on counseling in retreat settings
for women veterans newly separated from
service in the Armed Forces.
Sec. 7. Pilot programs on assistance for child care for certain
veterans.
SEC. 2. FACILITATION OF REPRODUCTION AND INFERTILITY RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 7330B. Facilitation of reproduction and infertility research
``(a) Facilitation of Research Required.--The Secretary shall
facilitate research conducted collaboratively by the Secretary of
Defense and the Director of the National Institutes of Health to
improve the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet the
long-term reproductive health care needs of veterans who have a
service-connected genitourinary disability or a condition that was
incurred or aggravated in line of duty in the active military, naval,
or air service, such as spinal cord injury, that affects the veterans'
ability to reproduce.
``(b) Dissemination of Information.--The Secretary shall ensure
that information produced by the research facilitated under this
section that may be useful for other activities of the Veterans Health
Administration is disseminated throughout the Veterans Health
Administration.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 73 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
7330A the following new item:
``7330B. Facilitation of reproduction and infertility research.''.
(c) Report.--Not later than three years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to Congress a report on the research activities conducted by the
Secretary under section 7330B of title 38, United States Code, as added
by subsection (a).
SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION THAT FERTILITY COUNSELING AND TREATMENT ARE
MEDICAL SERVICES WHICH THE SECRETARY MAY FURNISH TO
VETERANS LIKE OTHER MEDICAL SERVICES.
Section 1701(6) of such title is amended by adding at the end the
following new subparagraph:
``(H) Fertility counseling and treatment, including
treatment using assisted reproductive technology.''.
SEC. 4. REPRODUCTIVE TREATMENT AND CARE DELIVERY FOR SPOUSES AND
SURROGATES OF VETERANS.
(a) In General.--Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1787. Reproductive treatment and care for spouses and surrogates
of veterans
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall furnish fertility counseling
and treatment, including through the use of assisted reproductive
technology, to a spouse or surrogate of a severely wounded veteran who
has an infertility condition incurred or aggravated in line of duty in
the active military, naval, or air service and who is enrolled in the
health care system established under section 1705(a) of this title if
the spouse and the veteran apply jointly for such counseling and
treatment through a process prescribed by the Secretary.
``(b) Coordination of Care for Other Spouses and Surrogates.--In
the case of a spouse or surrogate of a veteran not described in
subsection (a) who is seeking fertility counseling and treatment, the
Secretary may coordinate fertility counseling and treatment for such
spouse or surrogate.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 17 of such title is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 1786 the following new section:
``1787. Reproductive treatment and care for spouses and surrogates of
veterans.''.
(c) Regulations.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
prescribe regulations to carry out section 1787 of title 38, United
States Code, as added by paragraph (1).
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENT TO IMPROVE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WOMEN
VETERANS CALL CENTER.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enhance the capabilities of
the Department of Veterans Affairs women veterans call center--
(1) to respond to requests by women veterans for assistance
with accessing health care and benefits furnished under laws
administered by the Secretary; and
(2) for referral of such veterans to community resources to
obtain assistance with services not furnished by the
Department.
SEC. 6. MODIFICATION OF PILOT PROGRAM ON COUNSELING IN RETREAT SETTINGS
FOR WOMEN VETERANS NEWLY SEPARATED FROM SERVICE IN THE
ARMED FORCES.
(a) Increase in Number of Locations.--Subsection (c) of section 203
of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010
(Public Law 111-163; 38 U.S.C. 1712A note) is amended by striking
``three locations'' and inserting ``14 locations''.
(b) Extension of Duration.--Subsection (d) of such section is
amended by striking ``2-year'' and inserting ``four-year''.
SEC. 7. PILOT PROGRAMS ON ASSISTANCE FOR CHILD CARE FOR CERTAIN
VETERANS.
(a) Modification of Duration of Pilot Program on Assistance for
Child Care for Certain Veterans Receiving Health Care.--Subsection (e)
of section 205 of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services
Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-163; 38 U.S.C. 1710 note) is amended to
read as follows:
``(e) Duration.--A child care center that is established as part of
the pilot program may operate until the date that is two years after
the date on which the pilot program is established in the third
Veterans Integrated Service Network required by subsection (d).''.
(b) Requirement for Pilot Program on Assistance for Child Care for
Certain Veterans Receiving Readjustment Counseling and Related Mental
Health Services.--
(1) Pilot program required.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to assess the
feasibility and advisability of providing, subject to paragraph
(2), assistance to qualified veterans described in paragraph
(3) to obtain child care so that such veterans can receive
readjustment counseling and related mental health services.
(2) Limitation on period of payments.--Assistance may only
be provided to a qualified veteran under the pilot program
required by paragraph (1) for receipt of child care during the
period that the qualified veteran receives readjustment
counseling and related health care services at a Vet Center.
(3) Qualified veterans.--For purposes of this subsection, a
qualified veteran is a veteran who is--
(A) the primary caretaker of a child or children;
and
(B)(i) receiving from the Department regular
readjustment counseling and related mental health
services; or
(ii) in need of readjustment counseling and related
mental health services from the Department, and but for
lack of child care services, would receive such
counseling and services from the Department.
(4) Locations.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot
program under this subsection in no fewer than three
Readjustment Counseling Service Regions selected by the
Secretary for purposes of the pilot program.
(5) Duration.--The pilot program under this subsection
shall be carried out until the end of the two-year period
beginning on the day on which the Secretary begins carrying out
the pilot program at the last Readjustment Counseling Service
Region selected under paragraph (4) at which the Secretary
begins carrying out the pilot program.
(6) Forms of child care assistance.--
(A) In general.--Child care assistance under this
subsection may include the following:
(i) Stipends for the payment of child care
offered by licensed child care centers (either
directly or through a voucher program) which
shall be, to the extent practicable, modeled
after the Department of Veterans Affairs Child
Care Subsidy Program established pursuant to
section 630 of the Treasury and General
Government Appropriations Act, 2002 (Public Law
107-67; 115 Stat. 552).
(ii) Payments to private child care
agencies.
(iii) Collaboration with facilities or
programs of other Federal departments or
agencies.
(iv) Such other forms of assistance as the
Secretary considers appropriate.
(B) Amounts of stipends.--In the case that child
care assistance under this subsection is provided as a
stipend under subparagraph (A)(i), such stipend shall
cover the full cost of such child care.
(7) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion
of the pilot program required by paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program. The
report shall include the findings and conclusions of the
Secretary as a result of the pilot program, and shall include
such recommendations for the continuation or expansion of the
pilot program as the Secretary considers appropriate.
(8) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to
carry out the pilot program required by paragraph (1)
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 and 2015.
(9) Vet center defined.--In this section, the term ``Vet
Center'' means a center for readjustment counseling and related
mental health services for veterans under section 1712A of
title 38, United States Code.
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