Following Department of Veterans' Affairs Secretary David Shulkin's announcement earlier this week that the VA will expand certain mental health services to former service members with other-than-honorable discharges, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he plans to introduce legislation to make this issue a matter of law, not just VA policy.

At a hearing of the U.S. House Veterans' Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Shulkin announced that "We are going to start providing mental health care for those that are other than honorably discharged. I don't want to wait. We want to start doing that."

As part of the proposal, former service members with other-than-honorable discharges would be able to seek treatment at a VA emergency department or Vet Center, or contact the Veterans Crisis Line. The VA estimates that there a little more than a half-million veterans with this kind of discharge.

Having post-traumatic stress disorder or a brain injury can lead to negative behavior such as a service member going absent without leave or self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, and can lead to the service member receiving a so-called "bad paper" discharge.

Research shows that service members with bad paper discharges are at an increased risk for suicide. Already, 20 veterans commit suicide each day, according to a 2016 VA study.

Shulkin said at Tuesday's hearing that his decision to expand mental health services to these service members was driven by his desire to help curb the high suicide rate, a top priority of his.

This is the first time a VA secretary has undertaken an initiative to expand access to services to those with other-than-honorable discharges. Usually this kind of discharge bars a former service member from receiving retirement, health care, housing and employment benefits.

A service member can request to upgrade his or her discharge status with the relevant military record correction board. But that process can take years, is difficult to navigate and often results in a denial, even after a 2014 memo from then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel directed these boards to give "liberal consideration" to discharges that can be linked to post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions.

Murphy's bill would require the VA to provide mental health and behavioral health services to former service members with other-than-honorable discharges, as opposed to just emergency mental health services.

"I want these vets to be fully eligible for VA mental health services. These are veterans who did something wrong, but it was most likely a manifestation of their PTSD or brain injury. It certainly doesn't make sense to keep them inside the military, but they shouldn't be cut off from care," he said.

The cost of expanding mental health services to this population "shouldn't be part of the discussion" Murphy said, adding "This is the right thing to do."

Murphy said he's happy Shulkin changed his mind on this issue. At a March 2016 hearing, in response to a question from Murphy about the VA's ability to review the circumstances of a service member's discharge, Shulkin said the VA is prohibited by law from treating somebody with a so-called bad paper discharge.

Shulkin, at Tuesday's hearing, said that he believes it's in the "secretary's authority" to be able to provide mental health services to those with other-than-honorable discharges. He credited Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican who represents Colorado's 6th District, with changing "my whole view on this."

Coffman and Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Democrat who represents Washington's 6th District, recently reintroduced legislation that would allow the VA to provide initial mental health assessments and urgent mental health care services to veterans at risk of suicide or harming others, even if they have an other-than-honorable discharge.

Shulkin will finalize his proposal in early summer but will meet with Congress, veterans' service organizations and Department of Defense officials before doing so to determine how best to get these former service members the care they need.

A similar effort in Connecticut, advocated for by several former veterans and veterans groups, to provide access to state veterans' benefits to vets with PTSD or a brain injury and an other-than-honorable discharge is stalled in the Connecticut General Assembly. Supporters of the proposal said these benefits are crucial to a veterans' reintegration into civilian life.

Veterans in crisis should call the Veterans Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255 (press 1), or text 838255.

j.bergman@theday.com