GovTrack’s Bill Summary
We don’t have a summary available yet.
S. 2963 (110th): A bill to improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to members of the Armed Forces and veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to survivors of members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.
- Introduced:
- May 01, 2008 (110th Congress, 2007–2009)
- Sponsor:
- Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond [R-MO]
- Status:
- Died (Referred to Committee)
The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. S. stands for Senate bill.
Library of Congress Summary
The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.
5/1/2008--Introduced.
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide scholarships to individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers (centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans) in order to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service in Vet Centers. Conditions the scholarship on agreeing to serve in such a capacity for whatever period the Secretary specifies in the agreement.
Makes any Armed Forces member who serves in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom eligible for readjustment counseling and related mental health services through Vet Centers regardless of whether the member is on active duty at the time of receipt of counseling and services.
Directs the Secretary, on receipt of a request for counseling from an individual who has been discharged or released from active service, to:
(1) provide referrals to assist the individual in obtaining mental health care and services outside the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
(2) if pertinent, advise such individual of the individual's rights to apply for review of the discharge or release.
Treats the suicide of a former member that occurs within two years after separation or retirement, if the member had a medical history of a combat-related mental health condition, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), as a death in line of duty for purposes of the survivors' eligibility to burial benefits and benefits under the Survivor Benefit Plan, laws administered by the Secretary, and the Social Security Act. Directs the Secretary of Defense to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces and deceased veterans through the survivors' peers.
House Republican Conference Summary
The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.
No summary available.
House Democratic Caucus Summary
The House Democratic Caucus does not provide summaries of bills.
So, yes, we display the House Republican Conference’s summaries when available even if we do not have a Democratic summary available. That’s because we feel it is better to give you as much information as possible, even if we cannot provide every viewpoint.
We’ll be looking for a source of summaries from the other side in the meanwhile.
The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:
United States Code
The United States Code is the compilation of permanent laws enacted by Congress. Temporary and other non-permanent laws do not appear in the United States Code. (About half of the United States Code is the law itself, called positive law. The other half is merely a compilation of the laws but has no legal significance.)
- Title 38: VETERANS’ BENEFITS
- Part II: GENERAL BENEFITS
- Chapter 17: HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME, DOMICILIARY, AND MEDICAL CARE
- Subchapter II: HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME, OR DOMICILIARY CARE AND MEDICAL TREATMENT
- Section 1712A: Eligibility for readjustment counseling and related mental health services
Other Citations
- 10 U.S.C. Chapter 73