STRONG Veterans Act of 2022
Latest action · Jul 11, 2022 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 18, 2022
- Passed HouseJun 23, 2022
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Support The Resiliency of Our Nation's Great Veterans Act of 2022 or the STRONG Veterans Act of 2022
This bill addresses mental health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including by requiring the VA to update training for the VA workforce and Veterans Crisis Line staff, implement pilot programs, expand access to mental health care, conduct studies and research, and provide outreach to veterans regarding mental health resources.
Among other requirements, the VA must
- ensure its medical centers have at least one full-time minority veteran coordinator and that such coordinators receive training on culturally appropriate mental health and suicide prevention services for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans;
- increase the number of full-time equivalent employees at Vet Centers and paid mental health trainees in the VA's workforce;
- expand specified scholarships and loan repayment programs for mental health providers and students;
- review and update the training for Veterans Crisis Line responders and social service assistants;
- designate a Buddy Check Week to organize outreach events and educate veterans on conducting peer wellness checks;
- update the Veterans Justice Outreach Program, including by conducting program outreach to justice-involved veterans;
- make permanent and expand the Peer Specialist Support program;
- expand eligibility for Vet Center services;
- offer mental health consultations to certain veterans;
- improve the assessment and treatment of veterans with sleep disorders; and
- perform various studies and research related to mental health issues and care.
Additionally, the bill permanently authorizes and expands the Solid Start program.
Cosponsors 40
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 18, 2022 to Jun 22, 2022, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-IL | Mike Bost | Original | Jan 18, 2022 |
| D-AZ | Ruben Gallego | Jan 28, 2022 | |
| D-MI | Elissa Slotkin | Feb 1, 2022 | |
| D-IN | Frank J. Mrvan | Feb 1, 2022 | |
| D-MP | Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan | Feb 1, 2022 | |
| D-IL | Lauren Underwood | Feb 1, 2022 | |
| D-CA | Eric Swalwell | Feb 9, 2022 | |
| D-CA | Julia Brownley | Feb 9, 2022 | |
| D-CA | Zoe Lofgren | Feb 9, 2022 | |
| D-NH | Chris Pappas | Feb 15, 2022 | |
| D-NV | Dina Titus | Feb 15, 2022 | |
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Feb 18, 2022 | |
| D-OH | Marcy Kaptur | Mar 1, 2022 | |
| D-MA | Seth Moulton | Mar 1, 2022 | |
| D-CA | Adam B. Schiff | Mar 7, 2022 |
Actions 14
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 11, 2022Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Jun 23, 2022Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5845-5853)
- Jun 23, 2022DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6411.
- Jun 23, 2022Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Jun 23, 2022Mr. Levin (CA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Related bills 7
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 544 | A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate one week each year as "Buddy Check Week" for the purpose of outreach and education concerning peer wellness checks for veterans, and for other purposes. | Related bill | Oct 8, 2021 |
| S 2817 | Expanding the Families of Veterans Access to Mental Health Services Act | Related bill | Sep 23, 2021 |
| S 3323 | Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act of 2021 | Related bill | Dec 7, 2021 |
| S 3368 | VITAL Assessment Act of 2021 | Related bill | Dec 9, 2021 |
| HR 4233 | Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act | Related bill | Nov 17, 2021 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Census and government statistics
- Commemorative events and holidays
- Congressional oversight
- Correctional facilities and imprisonment
- Cultural exchanges and relations
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Disability assistance
- Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
- Emergency communications systems
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Employment and training programs
- Federal-Indian relations
- Foreign language and bilingual programs
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government information and archives
- Government studies and investigations
- Health care coverage and access
- Health care quality
- Health facilities and institutions
- Health information and medical records
- Health personnel
- Health promotion and preventive care
- Higher education
- Home and outpatient care
- Judicial procedure and administration
- Law enforcement administration and funding
- Medical education
- Medical research
- Medical tests and diagnostic methods
- Mental health
- Military medicine
- Military personnel and dependents
- Minority employment
- Minority health
- Neurological disorders
- Nursing
- Performance measurement
- Research administration and funding
- Rural conditions and development
- Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
- Specialized courts
- Student aid and college costs
- Telephone and wireless communication
- Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
- Veterans' medical care
- Veterans' organizations and recognition
- Veterans' pensions and compensation
- Women's employment
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 11, 2022Referred in Senate
- Jun 23, 2022Engrossed in House
- Jun 22, 2022Reported in House
- Jan 18, 2022Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.