HOUSE BILL 36

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Dianne Miller Hamilton

FOR THE MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

AN ACT

RELATING TO VETERANS; CREATING A PILOT PROJECT TO TREAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER USING VIRTUAL REALITY TREATMENT DEVICES; PROVIDING FOR THERAPISTS' TRAINING; PROVIDING FOR VIRTUAL REALITY THERAPY CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT FOR THE MASTER'S OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM AT WESTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. VETERANS VIRTUAL REALITY TREATMENT PILOT PROJECT--CREATED--ADMINISTRATION--TRAINING--CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT--FUND CREATED.--

          A. The "veterans virtual reality treatment pilot project" is created as a four-year study to determine the efficacy of virtual reality therapy for veterans who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. The purpose of the pilot project is to:

                (1) demonstrate that virtual reality therapy is a cost- and therapeutically effective strategy to help reduce anxiety and depression and other symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder;

                (2) demonstrate that virtual reality therapy will decrease long-term costs due to chronic care needs, reduced productivity and suicide among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder;

                (3) develop and implement a related curriculum in the master's of social work program at western New Mexico university to train social workers in the therapeutic use of virtual reality therapy;

                (4) train graduate social workers and other therapists to provide virtual reality therapy; and

                (5) provide therapeutic services to rural veterans closer to their homes through the use of mobile virtual reality therapy devices.

          B. The pilot project shall be administered by the veterans' services department in conjunction with western New Mexico university. The department and the university shall establish reporting and evaluation requirements for the pilot project and shall provide interim and final reports to the governor and to the legislature through the interim military and veterans' affairs and legislative health and human services committees. A copy of the reports shall be provided to the legislative council service library.

          C. The department shall seek public and private grants and donations for the pilot project, which shall be deposited in the "veterans virtual reality treatment grants fund", created as a nonreverting fund in the state treasury. Income from investment of the fund shall be deposited in the fund. The department shall administer the fund, and money in the fund is appropriated to the department to carry out the purposes of the veterans virtual reality treatment pilot project. Money shall be expended in accordance with the terms of the grants and donations. Unless otherwise specified by the terms of a grant or donation, money in the fund at the end of the pilot project shall revert to the general fund. Expenditures from the fund shall be by warrants of the secretary of finance and administration drawn pursuant to vouchers signed by the secretary of veterans' affairs or the secretary's authorized representative.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the veterans' services department for expenditure in fiscal years 2014 through 2017 to implement the veterans virtual reality treatment pilot project. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2017 shall revert to the general fund.