Policy Information Exchange

A pair of bills have been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to improve addiction-treatment services delivered by the Departments of Defense and Veterans' Affairs, according to a report by the Legal Action Center.

H.R. 2131, the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century Act, and H.R. 1588, the Comprehensive Assistance for Veterans Exposed to Traumatic Stressors Act of 2005, would require the development and use of appropriate addiction-treatment protocols in combat zones and in the United States. The measures also call for screening for substance-use disorders to be included in pre-deployment and post-deployment health assessments.

The bills would also require the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to jointly establish a Council on Post-Deployment Mental Health to review the continuum of care between the two departments' health systems to identify gaps in treatment capacity.

H.R. 2131, introduced by Congressman Chet Edwards (D-Texas) with 156 other Democratic cosponsors, has been referred to the Committees on House Veterans' Affairs, Ways and Means, and Armed Services for review.

H.R. 1588, introduced by Congressman Lane Evans (D-Ill.) with 60 other Democratic cosponsors, has been referred to the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health and the Armed Services Committee for review.

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