Psychological Kevlar Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to incorporate preventive and early-intervention measures, practices, or procedures that reduce the likelihood that personnel in combat will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other stress-related psychopathologies, including substance use conditions.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) update the plan periodically; (2) develop and implement a training program to educate and promote awareness among commissioned and noncommissioned officers, front-line medical professionals and primary care providers, and military personnel and their families about the signs and risks of combat stress and stress-related psychopathology; (3) establish a working group to research and develop measures that reduce the likelihood of PTSD or other pathologies in combat veterans; and (4) establish a new Peer-Reviewed Research program for such research and development.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6003 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6003
To reduce post traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related
stress disorders among military personnel, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 28, 2006
Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reduce post traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related
stress disorders among military personnel, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Psychological Kevlar Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to reduce the number of psychological
casualties among military personnel by providing members of the Armed
Forces entering combat with the training, supports, and other evidence-
based measures necessary to improve their psychological resilience and
reduce their susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder and other
stress-related psychopathologies.
SEC. 3. PLANS FOR REDUCING POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.
(a) Plan for Prevention.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall develop and
implement a plan to incorporate evidence-based preventive and
early-intervention measures, practices, or procedures that
reduce the likelihood that personnel in combat will develop
post-traumatic stress disorder or other stress-related
psychopathologies (including substance use conditions) into--
(A) basic and pre-deployment training for enlisted
members of the Armed Forces, noncommissioned officers,
and officers;
(B) combat theater operations; and
(C) post-deployment service.
(2) Updates.--The Secretary of Defense shall update the
plan under paragraph (1) periodically to incorporate, as the
Secretary considers appropriate, the results of relevant
research, including research conducted pursuant to section 4.
(b) Research.--Subject to section 4, the Secretary of Defense shall
conduct and fund, in consultation with the Department of Veterans
Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Academy of
Sciences, such research as is necessary to develop the plan described
in subsection (a).
(c) Outreach and Education.--
(1) Training program for officers.--The Secretary of
Defense shall develop and implement a training program to
educate and promote understanding and awareness among
commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers about the
signs and risks of combat stress as well as the signs and risks
of stress-related psychopathology (including substance use
conditions). Training should include decisions-making tools for
making a referral for follow-up care.
(2) Training program for medical professionals.--The
Secretary of Defense shall develop and implement a training
program to educate front-line medical professionals and primary
care providers about the signs and risks of combat stress as
well as the signs and risks of stress-related psychopathology
(including substance use conditions).
(3) Education of members of armed forces.--The Secretary of
Defense shall educate members of the Armed Forces and their
families to recognize signs of combat stress, provide members
pre-deployment combat stress management training, and increase
outreach and access to members and their families about
programs and treatment options (such as individual and family
therapy) that mitigate the negative impact of combat stress on
the returning member.
(4) Information dissemination.--The Secretary of Defense
shall work with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
National Institutes of Health to research and implement best
practices for information dissemination to enlisted personnel,
officers, unit commanders, primary care providers and other
medical personnel, and families of members of the Armed Forces.
SEC. 4. EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH AND TRAINING.
(a) Working Group.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish, in
coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National
Institutes of Health, and the National Academy of Sciences' Institute
of Medicine, a working group tasked with researching and developing
evidence-based measures, practices, or procedures that reduce the
likelihood that personnel in combat will develop post-traumatic stress
disorder or other stress-related psychological pathologies (including
substance use conditions). The working group shall include personnel
with experience in a combat theater, and behavioral health personnel
who have experience providing treatment to individuals with experience
in a combat theater.
(b) Peer-Reviewed Research Program.--The Secretary of Defense shall
establish a new Peer-Reviewed Research program within the Defense
Health Program's research and development function to research and
develop evidence-based preventive and early intervention measures,
practices, or procedures that reduce the likelihood that personnel in
combat will develop post-traumatic stress disorder or other stress-
related psychopathologies (including substance use conditions). There
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and such sums as may be necessary
thereafter.
(c) Report.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress
annually a report on the following:
(1) The status of research conducted under this section.
(2) The status of the plan required under section 3(a) and
the expected timeline for the implementation of the plan.
(3) After the plan under section 3(a) has been implemented,
the status of the implementation, including measures of the
plan's impact on psychological casualty rates.
(d) Facilitation.--The Secretary of Defense shall take such steps
as practicable to facilitate the ability of investigators funded under
this section to work with active-duty military personnel in the course
of their research.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
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