# 116-hr-8145: To provide for a staffing improvement plan and occupational series for licensed professional mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

116-hr-8145, To provide for a staffing improvement plan and occupational series for licensed professional mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes., is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT); status Committee Hearings Held. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8145
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-8145
- Congress: 116
- Title: To provide for a staffing improvement plan and occupational series for licensed professional mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
- Status: Committee Hearings Held.
- Introduced: 2020-09-01
- Sponsor: Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT)
- Cosponsors: 24
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to (1) submit a plan to address its staffing shortages of licensed professional mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists, and (2) develop an occupational series for such counselors and therapists.

## Cosponsors (24)

- Rep. Wild, Susan [D-PA-7] (D-PA), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13] (D-OH), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] (D-NY), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2] (D-GA), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11] (D-OH), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1] (D-AZ), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cárdenas, Tony [D-CA-29] (D-CA), 2020-09-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawrence, Brenda L. [D-MI-14] (D-MI), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21] (D-CA), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6] (D-PA), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Trone, David J. [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2020-09-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bustos, Cheri [D-IL-17] (D-IL), 2020-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2] (D-CT), 2020-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] (D-TX), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16] (D-TX), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brown, Anthony G. [D-MD-4] (D-MD), 2020-09-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, David [D-GA-13] (D-GA), 2020-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1] (D-CT), 2020-10-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-8144: VA Mental Health Staffing Act
- 116-hr-8015: Delivering for America Act
- 116-hr-7120: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020
- 116-hr-2694: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- 116-hr-2420: National Museum of the American Latino Act
- 116-hr-2382: USPS Fairness Act

## Sources
- [116-hr-8145 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8145)

## Related
- [116-hr-8144: VA Mental Health Staffing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8144)
- [116-hr-8015: Delivering for America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8015)
- [116-hr-7120: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7120)
- [116-hr-2694: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2694)
- [116-hr-2420: National Museum of the American Latino Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2420)
- [116-hr-2382: USPS Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-2382)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-8145 (as of 2025-11-18).