Veterans Mental Health Training for First Responders and Community Leaders Act of 2008

Veterans Mental Health Training for First Responders and Community Leaders Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a three-year pilot program to provide education and training to emergency response providers and community leaders about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, traumatic brain injury, and other mental health conditions related to deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 6998 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6998

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
    program to provide education and training to emergency response 
   providers and community leaders relating to the mental health of 
veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2008

    Mr. Mahoney of Florida introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
    program to provide education and training to emergency response 
   providers and community leaders relating to the mental health of 
veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, 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.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Mental Health Training for 
First Responders and Community Leaders Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
              PROVIDERS ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OF VETERANS OF 
              OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.

    (a) Pilot Program.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry 
out a three-year pilot program under which the Secretary shall provide 
education and training about covered mental health conditions to 
emergency response providers and community leaders.
    (b) Location of Pilot Program.--The Secretary shall carry out the 
pilot program under this section in Veterans Integrated Service 
Networks selected by the Secretary.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act:
            (1) The term ``covered mental health conditions'' means 
        post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, traumatic brain 
        injury, and other mental health conditions identified by the 
        Secretary as being related to deployment in support of 
        Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
            (2) The term ``emergency response providers'' means 
        emergency public safety, fire, law enforcement, emergency 
        response, and emergency medical providers.
            (3) The term ``community leaders'' means judges, elected 
        officials, officers of local veterans organizations, and other 
        individuals identified by the Secretary.
    (d) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after the last day 
of the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit 
to Congress a report on the pilot program. Such report shall include--
            (1) the locations in which the Secretary carries out the 
        pilot program;
            (2) the number of individuals who participate in the 
        program;
            (3) the types of activities carried out under the program;
            (4) an assessment of the effectiveness of the program; and
            (5) the recommendations of the Secretary with respect to 
        the extension or expansion of the program.
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