Justin Bailey Veterans Substance Use Disorders Prevention and Treatment Act of 2008

To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to veterans from the Department of Veterans Affairs for substance use disorders, and for other purposes.

5/20/2008--Passed House amended. (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on May 15, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Justin Bailey Veterans Substance Use Disorders Prevention and Treatment Act of 2008 - Requires each substance use disorder treatment plan developed by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center to ensure that such center provides ready access to a full continuum of care for substance use disorders for veterans in need of such care. Includes under a full continuum of care:
(1) screening for substance use disorder;
(2) detoxification and stabilization;
(3) intensive outpatient care;
(4) relapse prevention;
(5) outpatient counseling;
(6) residential substance use disorder treatment;
(7) pharmacological treatment to reduce cravings and opioid substitution therapy;
(8) coordination with groups providing peer-to-peer counseling;
(9) short-term, early interventions for substance use disorders; and
(10) marital and family counseling. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide outreach to veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom to increase awareness of the availability of such care.
Requires the Secretary to:
(1) ensure that amounts made available to the VA for substance use disorder care, treatment, and services are allocated to ensure a full continuum of such care to veterans regardless of the location of their residence; and
(2) include in annual budget reports a report on such care, treatment, and services. Requires:
(1) each such report to be reviewed by the Committee on Care of Severely Chronically Mentally Ill Veterans; and
(2) the Committee to provide an independent assessment of such care, treatment, and services furnished directly by the VA to veterans.
Directs the Secretary to carry out a two-year pilot program to test the feasibility and advisability of providing veterans who seek treatment for substance use disorders with access to a computer-based self-assessment, education, and specific treatment program through a secure Internet website operated by the Secretary. Authorizes appropriations. Requires a pilot program report from the Secretary to Congress.
Requires the Secretary to:
(1) conduct a review of all residential mental health care facilities, including domiciliary facilities, of the Veterans Health Administration; and
(2) report review results to the congressional veterans' committees.
States that this Act is in tribute to Justin Bailey, who, after returning to the United States from service in Operation Iraqi Freedom, died in a VA domiciliary facility while receiving care for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a substance use disorder.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Michael Michaud [D, ME-2]
• and 16 Co-Sponsors
  • Thomas Allen
  • Rep. Shelley Berkley [D, NV-1]
  • Rep. Sanford Bishop [D, GA-2]
  • Rep. Madeleine Bordallo [D, GU-0]
  • Rep. Corrine Brown [D, FL-3]
  • Rep. Michael Capuano [D, MA-8]
  • Rep. Steve Cohen [D, TN-9]
  • Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
  • Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D, NY-22]
  • Rep. Rubén Hinojosa [D, TX-15]
  • Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D, RI-1]
  • Rep. Sander Levin [D, MI-12]
  • Rep. John Lewis [D, GA-5]
  • Rep. Betty McCollum [D, MN-4]
  • Rep. Jeff Miller [R, FL-1]
  • Rep. Grace Napolitano [D, CA-38]
  close

Committees

• House Veterans' Affairs
• 2 more
  • House Veterans' Affairs
  • Senate Veterans' Affairs
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.5554

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
March 06, 2008		May 20, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• May 21, 2008: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on May 20, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• May 20, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5554.
• May 20, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
• May 20, 2008: Mr. Filner moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
• Added to calendar on May 15, 2008: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 400..
• May 15, 2008: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 110-639.
• Added to calendar on Apr 30, 2008: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote..
• Apr 30, 2008: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
• Apr 23, 2008: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
• Apr 23, 2008: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
• Apr 15, 2008: Committee Hearings Held.
• Apr 15, 2008: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
• Mar 07, 2008: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
• Mar 06, 2008: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
• Introduced on Mar 06, 2008.

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Related Issue Areas:

• Iraq compilation
• Veterans
• Afghanistan
• Ambulatory care
• 30 more
• Congress
• Congressional reporting requirements
• Continuum of care
• Counseling
• Drug abuse
• Drug abuse treatment
• Drug addiction
• Drug therapy
• Families
• Internet
• Iraq
• Marriage counseling
• Medical care
• Medical screening
• Medicine
• Middle East and North Africa
• Social services
• South Asia
• Technology
• Telecommunication
• Telemedicine
• Veterans' medical care
• Web sites
• Armed forces
• Commemorations
• Congressional tributes
• Defense policy
• Military operations
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Veterans' hospitals

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

November 19, 2008 View topic - PTSD and Brain Trauma... :: Free Dominion ...

H.R. 5554, the Veterans Substance Use Disorders Prevention and Treatment Act of 2008; and · H.R. 2874, the Veterans’ Health Care Improvement Act of 2007. “The tragedy of homeless veterans is that we know what we need to do to prevent it ...

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Source: Free Dominion - Principled Conservative...

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September 30, 2008 august 2008 new materials

call no: ae 1.102:d 63/4, title: making archives accessible for people with disabilities / frank h. serene. author: serene, frank h. imprint: [washington, dc : national archives and records administration, 2008?] ...

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September 27, 2008 Magic City Morning Star: Important Veterans Bills: One Step Closer ...

Also included in S. 2162 is the Justin Bailey Veterans Substance Use Disorders Prevention and Treatment Act (H.R. 5554), a bill I authored. This bill requires the VA to provide the full continuum of care for substance use disorders and ...

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Source: magic-city-news.com

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