PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 14, 2018
Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish to former members of the Armed Forces or the reserve components: (1) an initial mental health assessment; and (2) the mental health care services required to treat the member's urgent mental health care needs, including risk of suicide or harming others.
A former member of the Armed Forces is an individual who:
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
served in the active military, naval, or air service, was discharged or released under a condition that is not honorable (except a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge), has applied for a character of service determination that has not yet been made, and is not otherwise eligible to enroll in the VA health care system by reason of such discharge or release; or
while serving in the Armed Forces, was deployed in a theater of combat operations or an area at a time during which hostilities occurred in that area, participated in or experienced such combat operations or hostilities, or was the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment.
The VA may provide such mental health care services at a non-VA facility under specifed circumstances.
People & committees
Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV] · R–NV
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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