House approves bill named for LV Marine
WASHINGTON — By a voice vote, the House on Tuesday passed a bill named after a Marine veteran from Las Vegas who suffered post traumatic stress syndrome after serving in Iraq and died last year from a medication overdose.
Under the bill, Veterans Administration hospitals would be required to provide drug screening, detoxification programs, and substance abuse counseling for veterans.
The bill still must be approved by the Senate and signed by President Bush before becoming law.
Lance Cpl. Justin Bailey was a 1998 graduate of Las Vegas High School who had been discharged from the Marines in 2004 after a tour of duty in Iraq.
Bailey struggled with substance abuse after his discharge and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
In November 2006, Bailey checked himself into a veterans medical center in West Los Angeles and was put on a self-medication program.
He died two months later at the age of 27.
Bailey’s parents, Tony and Mary Kaye Bailey, testified before Congress and charged the Veterans Administration failed to give their son the treatment he deserved.
The bill was named after Bailey last month by a House veterans health subcommittee at the suggestion of Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.
"The assessments of residential mental health care facilities required will help tell us how well the VA is performing and what we can do to improve these services, including expanding availability at VA hospitals," Berkley said in a statement.
