H.R. 10160

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10160 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10160
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve mental health
 care for veterans through the establishment of a minimum requirement
                for the number of Vet Centers per State.
_______________________________________________________________________
                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                            August 27, 2026
 Mr. Kean (for himself, Ms. Schrier, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Casten, and
  Mr. Cohen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
                                 A BILL
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve mental health
 care for veterans through the establishment of a minimum requirement
                for the number of Vet Centers per State.
    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 Census-Enabled National
Treatment Equitable Resource Supplement for Mental Health Act of 2026''
or the ``Vet CENTERS for Mental Health Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR NUMBER OF VET CENTERS PER STATE.
    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure
that, by not later than one year after the date of enactment of this
Act, the number of covered Vet Centers located in each State is at
least the minimum required number described in subsection (b) with
respect to that State.
    (b) Minimum Required Number.--The minimum required number described
in this subsection is the following:
            (1) With respect to each State that is one of the several
        States not located in the contiguous United States, the
        District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any
        other territory or possession of the United States that is not
        one of the several States, the greater of the following:
                    (A) One covered Vet Center per State.
                    (B) The total number of covered Vet Centers that
                were located in the State on January 1, 2020.
            (2) With respect to each of the several States located in
        the contiguous United States and not referred to in paragraph
        (1), the greater of the following:
                    (A) One covered Vet Center per every 30,000 square
                miles of land area in the State.
                    (B) One covered Vet Center per every 55,000
                veterans located in the State (calculated by using the
                number of veterans in the State as determined by the
                Director of the United States Census Bureau for the
                most recent census).
    (c) Establishment of Additional Vet Centers.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
        Secretary shall establish such additional covered Vet Centers
        in each State as may be necessary to meet the minimum required
        number described in subsection (b) with respect to the State.
            (2) Existing facilities.--In establishing additional
        covered Vet Centers pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary
        may establish such covered Vet Centers at facilities made
        available to the Secretary by the head of a State, local
        government, or federally recognized Indian tribe to carry out
        this section, regardless of whether such facility is made
        available at a cost to the Secretary.
            (3) Vet center outstations.--If the establishment of more
        than one additional covered Vet Center in a State is necessary
        to meet the minimum required number described in subsection (b)
        with respect to the State, the Secretary--
                    (A) shall establish at least one additional covered
                Vet Center to meet such number; and
                    (B) for each remaining covered Vet Center necessary
                to meet such number, may establish a covered Vet Center
                outstation in lieu of a covered Vet Center.
    (d) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) The term ``covered Vet Center'' means a Vet Center, as
        such term is defined in section 1712A of title 38, United
        States Code, that is scheduled to be open for the provision of
        services under such section for a minimum of eight hours per
        day during five days of the week, except that the Vet Center
        may be open for less than such minimum on a temporary basis as
        a result of a Federal holiday, weather concern, safety concern,
        pandemic, or for such other reasons as may be determined
        appropriate by the Secretary.
            (2) The term ``covered Vet Center outstation'' means a Vet
        Center outstation that--
                    (A) provides similar child care services as the
                child care services provided at a Vet Center; and
                    (B) is scheduled to be open in accordance with the
                minimum hours and days specified in paragraph (1).
            (3) The term ``State'' has the meaning given such term in
        section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
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