119-hr438

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 438 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 438

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to State 
 and local entities to carry out peer-to-peer mental health programs.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 15, 2025

 Mr. LaLota (for himself, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Fitzpatrick, 
 Mr. Bacon, Mr. Ryan, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. 
 Fitzgerald, Mr. Kennedy of New York, and Ms. Salinas) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
 Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to State 
 and local entities to carry out peer-to-peer mental health programs.

 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 ``PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support 
Program Act''.

SEC. 2. PFC JOSEPH P. DWYER PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish 
a grant program to be known as the ``PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support 
Program'' under which the Secretary shall make grants to eligible 
entities for the purpose of establishing peer-to-peer mental health 
programs for veterans.

    (b) Eligible Entity Defined.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
entity'' means any of the following entities that submit to the 
Secretary an application containing such information and assurances as 
the Secretary may require:

    (1) A nonprofit organization having historically served 
 veterans' mental health needs.

    (2) A congressionally chartered veteran service 
 organization.

    (3) A State, local, or Tribal veteran service agency, 
 director, or commissioner.
            (c) Amount of Grant.--The recipient of a grant under this section 
shall receive a grant in an amount that does not exceed $250,000.
            (d) Use of Funds.--The recipient of a grant under this section 
shall use the grant funds to--

    (1) carry out a program that meets the standards developed 
 under subsection

    (e) ;

    (2) hire veterans to serve as peer specialists to host 
 group and individual meetings with veterans seeking nonclinical 
 support;

    (3) provide mental health support to veterans 24 hours each 
 day, seven days each week; and

    (4) hire staff to support the program.

    (e) Program Standards.--

    (1) Advisory commission.--The Secretary shall establish an 
 advisory committee for the purpose of creating appropriate 
 standards applicable to programs established using grants under 
 this section.

    (2) Standards.--The standards developed under paragraph

    (1) shall include initial and continued training for veteran peer 
 volunteers, administrative staffing needs, and best practices 
 for addressing the needs of each veteran served.

    (f) Nonretention of Records.--The Secretary may not require the 
recipient of a grant under this section to maintain records on veterans 
seeking support or to report any personally identifying information 
directly or indirectly to the Secretary about such veterans.

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $25,000,000 to carry out this section during the 3-year 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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