HR 1963 116th Congress House Armed Forces and National Security Alternative treatments Department of Veterans Affairs Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management Government studies and investigations Health care coverage and access Health personnel Health programs administration and funding Health promotion and preventive care Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care Medical education Medical research Mental health Physical fitness and lifestyle Research administration and funding Veterans' medical care

Expanding Care for Veterans Act

Introduced: March 28, 2019 Introduced by: Brownley, Julia Democratic · California See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Mar 28, 2019

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Mar 28, 2019

Introduced in House

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Expanding Care for Veterans Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a plan to expand the scope of research and education on and delivery of complementary and integrative medicine services (products and practices that are not currently part of mainstream, conventional medical practice) for veterans. The bill also requires the VA to define in regulations the meaning of complementary and integrative medicine.

The VA must implement a three-year program at not fewer than 15 VA medical centers to assess the feasibility and advisability of integrating the delivery of complementary and integrative medicine services for veterans with mental health conditions, chronic pain conditions, and other chronic conditions.

The bill requires the VA to contract with a qualified independent entity to conduct studies of the barriers encountered by veterans in receiving (and administrators and clinicians in providing) complementary and integrative medicine services. The National Research Advisory Council must review the results of the studies and submit findings to the VA.

Finally, the VA must implement a three-year grant program awarding grants to public or private nonprofit entities to assess the feasibility and advisability of using wellness programs to complement the provision of mental health care to veterans and family members who are eligible for readjustment counseling from the VA.

What's happening now March 28, 2019

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Committees of jurisdiction 1