RECOVER Act

This bill mandates the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to implement a three-year pilot program aimed at improving mental health care access for veterans. The program's primary goal is to provide grants to non-profit outpatient mental health facilities to deliver culturally competent, evidence-based mental health care to veterans. To be eligible, facilities must have operated for at least three years and commit to having clinicians trained in culturally competent care. Grant recipients are prohibited from charging veterans for services or refusing care based on reimbursement eligibility, though they can seek reimbursement from other sources like the Veterans Community Care Program. Funds from these grants can be used to operate existing facilities, establish new ones, and encourage veterans to enroll in the Department of Veterans Affairs' patient enrollment system. The Secretary will prioritize grant distribution to ensure an even spread between rural and urban areas, and may consider facilities in medically underserved areas, those with large veteran populations, or areas with high suicide risk among veterans. Individual grants are capped at $1,500,000 per facility per fiscal year, with a special limitation for facilities heavily reliant on federal funding. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2027 to support this initiative. Upon completion, the Secretary must report to Congress on the program's outcomes, including the number of veterans served, demographics, types of care provided, and any obstacles encountered.