HOUSE BILL 73

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2016

INTRODUCED BY

Dianne Miller Hamilton

AN ACT

RELATING TO VETERANS; CONTINUING 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. [NEW MATERIAL] VETERANS VIRTUAL REALITY TREATMENT PILOT PROJECT--CONTINUED--ADMINISTRATION--TRAINING--CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT--FUND CREATED.--

          A. The "veterans virtual reality treatment pilot project", created in fiscal year 2014 with funding through the General Appropriation Act of 2013, is continued through fiscal year 2018 to determine the efficacy of virtual reality treatment 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-effective 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 western New Mexico university. 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 legislative health and human services committee. A copy of the reports shall be provided to the legislative council service library.

          C. The university shall establish a "veterans virtual reality treatment fund" into which all appropriations, gifts, grants and donations for the pilot project and income from investment of the fund shall be deposited. The university shall seek public and private gifts, grants and donations for the pilot project. The university shall administer the fund, and money in the fund is appropriated to the university to carry out the purposes of the veterans virtual reality treatment pilot project. Money shall be expended in accordance with the terms of any gifts, grants and donations to the pilot project. 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.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of western New Mexico university for expenditure in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 to continue the veterans virtual reality treatment pilot project. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2018 shall revert to the general fund.

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