Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4233) to amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish Vet Center readjustment counseling and related mental health services to veterans and members of the Armed Forces using certain educational assistance benefits.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4233
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 ``Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act''. SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF VET CENTER SERVICES.
(a) Veterans and Members Using Educational Assistance Benefits.--Section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``clauses (i) through (vi)'' both places it appears and inserting ``clauses (i) through (vii)'';
(2) by striking ``in clause (vii)'' both places it appears and inserting ``in clause (viii)'';
(3) in subsection (a)(1)(C)--
(A) by redesignating clause (vii) as clause (viii); and
(B) by inserting after clause (vi) the following new clause:
``(vii) Any veteran or member of the Armed Forces pursuing a course of education using covered educational assistance benefits.''; and
(4) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(6) The term `covered educational assistance benefits' means educational assistance benefits provided pursuant to--
``(A) chapters 30, 31, 32, or 33 of this title;
``(B) chapters 1606 or 1607 of title 10;
``(C) section 116 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-48; 38 U.S.C. 3001 note); or
``(D) section 8006 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2; 38 U.S.C. 3001 note prec.).''.
(b) GAO Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report assessing--
(1) the mental health needs of veterans pursuing a course of education using covered educational assistance benefits (as defined in section 1712A(h)(6) of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)); and
(2) the efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs to address such mental health needs.
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Mr. TAKANO. 4233.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4233, the Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act from Congressman Murphy.
We all know that student veterans may face challenges as they begin this new phase of their lives following military service, and we want them to be able to seek and find support at vet centers.
We also encourage VA to continue monitoring the need for increased funding, staffing, and resources for vet centers as a result of demand for these services.
I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4233, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4233, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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