text: SECTION 1. PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY DEPARTMENT OF 
                VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR VETERANS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WITH 
                LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY.
  
      (a) In General.--
              (1) Requirement.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States 
          Code, is amended by inserting after section 1712B the following 
          new section:
  ``Sec. 1713. Mental health services; languages other than English
      ``(a) Availability of Counseling in Languages Other Than English.--
  In providing counseling and other mental health services authorized by 
  law to a veteran who has limited proficiency in English, the Secretary 
  shall ensure that such counseling and services are available to that 
  veteran in both English and a language other than English in which the 
  veteran is proficient, if requested by the veteran.
      ``(b) Identification of Limited English Proficient Veterans.--For 
  purposes of this section, the Secretary shall develop procedures for 
  identifying veterans who have limited proficiency in English and of 
  informing those veterans of the provisions of subsection (a).''.
              (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
          beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
          item relating to section 1712B the following new item:
  
  ``1713. Mental health services; languages other than English''.
      (b) Family Members.--Section 1782 of such title is amended by 
  adding at the end the following new subsections:
      ``(e) Additional Counseling.--In addition to services authorized by 
  subsections (a) and (b), the Secretary shall, in connection with the 
  service of a veteran in the active military, naval, or air service, 
  provide to an individual described in subsection (c) such counseling 
  and mental health services as are requested by the individual, except 
  to the extent that the Secretary determines that such counseling and 
  mental health services are not needed.
      ``(f) Bilingual Counseling.--(1) In providing counseling and mental 
  health services under this section and bereavement counseling under 
  section 1783 of this title, the Secretary shall ensure, in the case of 
  an individual who has limited proficiency in English, that such 
  counseling and services are available to that individual in both 
  English and a language other than English in which the individual is 
  proficient, if requested by the individual.
      ``(2) For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall develop 
  procedures for identifying individuals who have limited proficiency in 
  English and of informing those individuals of the provisions of 
  paragraph (1).''.
      (c) Effective Date.--Section 1713 of title 38, United States Code, 
  as added by subsection (a)(1), and subsections (e) and (f) of section 
  1782 of such title, as added by subsection (b), shall take effect at 
  the end of the 120-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of 
  this Act.
  
  SEC. 2. CODIFICATION FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF REQUIREMENTS 
                OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 13166.
  
      (a) System for Access to Services.--The Secretary of Veterans 
  Affairs shall implement a system by which persons with limited English 
  proficiency can meaningfully access the services provided by the 
  Department of Veterans Affairs consistent with, and without unduly 
  burdening, the fundamental mission of that Department. The Secretary 
  shall work to ensure that recipients of financial assistance under 
  programs of the Department provide meaningful access to applicants and 
  beneficiaries with limited English proficiency.
      (b) Plan.--The Secretary shall implement a plan to improve access 
  to programs and activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs by 
  eligible persons with limited English proficiency. The plan shall be 
  consistent with the standards set forth in the guidance issued by the 
  Attorney General and shall include the steps the Secretary will take to 
  ensure that eligible persons with limited English proficiency can 
  meaningfully access the programs and activities of the Department.
  
  SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION.
  
      In developing and implementing the plan under section 2(b), the 
  Secretary shall, at a minimum, carry out the following:
              (1) The Secretary shall conduct a thorough assessment of 
          the language needs of the population served by the Department 
          of Veterans Affairs, including identifying the non-English 
          languages that are likely to be encountered.
              (2) The Secretary shall develop and implement a 
          comprehensive language assistance program, which shall 
          include--
                      (A) hiring bilingual staff and interpreters for 
                  patient and client contact positions; and
                      (B) translating written materials (such as consent 
                  forms, notice of free language assistance, and outreach 
                  materials) into languages other than English.
              (3) The Secretary shall train staff of the Department on 
          the access policy of the Department with respect to persons 
          with limited English proficiency and on carrying out that 
          policy.
              (4) The Secretary shall establish vigilant monitoring and 
          oversight to ensure that persons with limited English 
          proficiency have meaningful access to health care and services.
              (5) The Secretary shall establish a task force to evaluate 
          implementation and to prioritize needed actions to implement 
          the access plan for persons with limited English proficiency.
              (6) The Secretary shall develop a specific plan to ensure 
          seamless transition of veterans and their families from 
          benefits and services provided by the Department of Defense to 
          benefits and services provided by the Department of Veterans 
          Affairs, including bilingual readjustment and bereavement 
          counseling.
              (7) The Secretary shall establish a process to translate 
          vital documents and other materials, including materials on the 
          World Wide Web, brochures distributed as part of outreach 
          efforts to servicemembers transitioning into civilian life, and 
          the post-deployment health reassessment program.
              (8) The Secretary shall conduct outreach to veterans and 
          their families in communities which may have higher proportions 
          of populations with limited English proficiency to ensure they 
          are aware of eligibility for benefits and services from the 
          Department of Veterans Affairs.
  
  SEC. 4. REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION BY VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION OF 
                DIRECTIVE ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO SERVICES FOR PERSONS 
                WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY.
  
      (a) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
  to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
  Representatives a report on the implementation by the Veterans Health 
  Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs of the directive 
  of the Veterans Health Administration designated ``VHA Directive 2002-
  006'' that was issued by the Under Secretary for Health of the 
  Department of Veterans Affairs on January 31, 2002, and that issued 
  policy to implement prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of 
  national origin for persons with limited English proficiency in 
  Federally-conducted programs and activities and in Federal financial 
  assisted programs.
      (b) Capacity to Provide Services to LEP Servicemembers.--The 
  Secretary shall include in the report an analysis of the capacity of 
  the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide services to members of 
  the Armed Forces with limited English proficiency.
target: Amends federal veterans' benefits provisions to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in providing counseling and other mental health services to a veteran who has limited proficiency in English, to ensure that such services are available in both English and a language in which that veteran is proficient, if requested by the veteran. Requires such availability also for the family members of such a veteran.
  
  Requires the Secretary to implement a system by which persons with limited English proficiency can access services provided by the Department of Veterans consistent with, and without unduly burdening, the Department's fundamental mission.
  
  Requires a report from the Secretary to the congressional veterans' committees on the implementation by the Department's Veterans Health Administration of a specified directive to implement prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of national origin for persons with limited English proficiency in federally-conducted programs and activities and in federal financial-assisted programs.
feat_title: To require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mental health services in languages other than English, as needed, for veterans and family members with limited English proficiency, to expand the scope of mental health services provided to family members of veterans, and for other purposes.