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Bill > S699


US S699

US S699
Honor Our Commitment Act of 2017


summary

Introduced
03/22/2017
In Committee
03/22/2017
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
12/31/2018

Introduced Session

115th Congress

Bill Summary

Honor Our Commitment Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish mental and behavioral health care to individuals who: served in the active military, naval, or air service for more than 180 days and were deployed in a theater of combat operations, in support of a contingency operation, or or in an area at a time during which hostilities occurred in that area for more than 30 days; were discharged or released from such service, by reason of committing a covered offense, under conditions other than honorable but not dishonorable or by court-martial; and either were diagnosed by a qualified mental health care provider with a mental or behavioral health condition before committing such offense; or are diagnosed with such a condition after committing such offense but before the expiration of five years after the later of the date of enactment of this bill or the date the individual is discharged or released from service, if a provider certifies such condition may have led to such offense and if the VA determines such individual had such condition at the time of the offense. The VA: (1) may furnish initial mental health screenings within five years after this bill's enactment or five years after the date of discharge or release from service, at no cost to the individual; and (2) shall notify each eligible individual about eligibility for covered mental and behavioral health care within 180 days of discharge or release from active service.

AI Summary

This bill, the Honor Our Commitment Act of 2017, directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide mental and behavioral health care to certain individuals who were discharged or released from active military service under conditions other than honorable, but not dishonorable or by court-martial. The key provisions are: 1) Eligible individuals include those who served over 180 days, were deployed in a combat theater or area of hostilities for over 30 days, and were either diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health condition before committing an offense leading to their discharge, or are diagnosed within 5 years of discharge and the VA determines the condition may have contributed to the offense. 2) The VA may provide initial mental health screenings at no cost to eligible individuals within 5 years of the bill's enactment or their discharge. 3) The VA must notify eligible individuals about their access to covered mental and behavioral health care within 180 days of their discharge. 4) The VA must annually report on the number of individuals receiving care under this new program, those determined to not have a qualifying condition, and the number receiving initial screenings.

Committee Categories

Military Affairs and Security

Sponsors (11)

Last Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (on 03/22/2017)

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