# 115-hr-918: Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act

115-hr-918, Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act, is a 115th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6] (R-CO); status Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-918
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 115-hr-918
- Congress: 115
- Title: Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act
- Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Introduced: 2017-02-07
- Sponsor: Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6] (R-CO)
- Cosponsors: 40
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

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: (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: served in the active military, naval, or air service, was discharged or released under a condition less than 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 if: (1) the receipt of mental health care services by an individual in VA facilities would be clinically inadvisable, or (2) VA facilities are not capable of furnishing such mental health care services to that individual economically because of geographical inaccessibility. The VA shall seek to enter into a contract with an independent nongovernmental entity to study the effect combat service has had on suicide rates and serious mental health issues among veterans.

## Cosponsors (40)

- Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rice, Kathleen M. [D-NY-4] (D-NY), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meehan, Patrick [R-PA-7] (R-PA), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- WALTER JONES (R-NC), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jenkins, Lynn [R-KS-2] (R-KS), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- PETER KING (R-NY), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-14] (D-CA), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4] (D-CT), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Shea-Porter, Carol [D-NH-1] (D-NH), 2017-02-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2] (D-HI), 2017-03-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Esty, Elizabeth H. [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2017-07-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tipton, Scott R. [R-CO-3] (R-CO), 2017-07-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4] (D-OR), 2017-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5] (D-FL), 2017-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3] (R-IA), 2017-11-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9] (D-AZ), 2017-11-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2] (D-GA), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Costello, Ryan A. [R-PA-6] (R-PA), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1] (R-MI), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] (D-NH), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [R-AS-At Large] (R-AS), 2017-02-07T00:00:00.000Z
- ED ROYCE (R-CA), 2017-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2] (D-CT), 2017-03-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., III [D-MA-4] (D-MA), 2017-03-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16] (R-FL), 2017-03-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5] (R-FL), 2017-03-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2] (D-IA), 2017-03-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] (R-LA), 2017-03-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2017-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI), 2017-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2017-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2017-04-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kihuen, Ruben J. [D-NV-4] (D-NV), 2017-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tsongas, Niki [D-MA-3] (D-MA), 2017-05-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2017-07-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Curbelo, Carlos [R-FL-26] (R-FL), 2017-07-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16] (D-TX), 2017-07-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Messer, Luke [R-IN-6] (R-IN), 2017-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA), 2017-09-06T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 115-hr-2519: The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
- 115-hr-2740: Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2017 (sic)
- 115-hr-1456: Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2017
- 115-hr-1017: Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2017
- 115-hr-299: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018
- 115-hr-4099: To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that children of homeless veterans are included in the calculation of the amounts of certain per diem grants.

## Sources
- [115-hr-918 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/918)

## Related
- [115-hr-2519: The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-2519)
- [115-hr-2740: Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2017 (sic)](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-2740)
- [115-hr-1456: Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2017](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-1456)
- [115-hr-1017: Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2017](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-1017)
- [115-hr-299: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-299)
- [115-hr-4099: To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that children of homeless vete…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4099)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-918 (as of 2025-11-18).