Homecoming Enhancement Research and Oversight (HERO) Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study of the physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of members and former members of the Armed Forces who deployed in Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, and their families. Requires: (1) reports, from the Academy to the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs and from the Secretary to Congress, on such study; (2) the public availability of the reports; (3) such Secretaries to develop a joint plan to address report findings; and (4) the public availability of the Secretaries' response.
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1271 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1271
To provide for a comprehensive national research effort on the physical
and mental health and other readjustment needs of the members of the
Armed Forces and veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom and their families.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 2, 2007
Mr. Obama (for himself and Mrs. McCaskill) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed
Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for a comprehensive national research effort on the physical
and mental health and other readjustment needs of the members of the
Armed Forces and veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom and their families.
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 ``Homecoming Enhancement Research and
Oversight (HERO) Act''.
SEC. 2. STUDY ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER READJUSTMENT
NEEDS OF MEMBERS AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES
WHO DEPLOYED IN OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION
ENDURING FREEDOM AND THEIR FAMILIES.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The order on April 11, 2007 to extend the tour of duty
for members of the Army on active duty in Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to 15 months is placing
additional strains on the wellness of members of the Armed
Forces and their families back home.
(2) 20,000 United States troops have been deployed at least
5 times since the war effort began. 70,000 have been deployed
at 3 least times.
(3) Sixty percent of deployed members of the Armed Forces
have family responsibilities.
(4) More than 500,000 children have one or more parents
deployed in support of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) at any
given time.
(5) It is estimated that more than 2,700 children in the
United States have lost a parent in Operation Iraqi Freedom or
Operation Enduring Freedom.
(6) Women now comprise 16 percent of the all voluntary
military force, yet there is a lack of research on the
psychological needs and readjustment concerns of female
military personnel.
(7) Members of the Armed Forces who have screened positive
for a mental health disorder were twice as likely as members
who have screened negative for a mental health disorder to
report concern about possible stigmatization and other barriers
to accessing care. Among members of the Armed Forces who
screened positive for a mental health disorder, only between 23
percent and 40 percent have sought care.
(8) As many as one quarter of all members of the Armed
Forces returning from a combat zone have less visible
psychological injuries.
(9) On average, more than 20 percent of wounded members of
the Armed Forces have a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
(10) More than a decade passed between the end of the
conflict in Vietnam and the publication by the Federal
Government of its landmark study on the readjustment needs of
veterans of that conflict. The impacts of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan on members of the Armed Forces, former members of
the Armed Forces, and their families must be rigorously
researched and addressed without a wait of 10 years.
(b) Study Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall, in
consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, enter into an
agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study on the
physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of members and
former members of the Armed Forces who deployed in Operation Iraqi
Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and their families as a result of
such deployment.
(c) Phases.--The study required under subsection (b) shall consist
of two phases:
(1) A preliminary phase, to be completed not later than 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act--
(A) to identify preliminary findings on the
physical and mental health and other readjustment needs
described in subsection (b) and on gaps in care for the
members, former members, and families described in that
subsection; and
(B) to determine the parameters of the second phase
of the study under paragraph (2).
(2) A second phase, to be completed not later than three
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, to carry out
a comprehensive assessment, in accordance with the parameters
identified under the preliminary report required by paragraph
(1), of the physical and mental health and other readjustment
needs of members and former members of the Armed Forces who
deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring
Freedom and their families as a result of such deployment,
including, at a minimum--
(A) an assessment of the psychological, social, and
economic impacts of such deployment on such members and
former members and their families;
(B) an assessment of the particular impacts of
multiple deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom or
Operation Enduring Freedom on such members and former
members and their families;
(C) an assessment of the full scope of the
neurological, psychiatric, and psychological effects of
Traumatic Brain Injury on members and former members of
the Armed Forces, including the effects of such effects
on the family members of such members and former
members, and an assessment of the efficacy of current
treatment approaches for Traumatic Brain Injury in the
United States and the efficacy of screenings and
treatment approaches for Traumatic Brain Injury within
the Department of Defense and the Department of
Veterans Affairs;
(D) an assessment of the effects of undiagnosed
injuries such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
and Traumatic Brain Injury, and an estimate of the
long-term costs associated with such injuries;
(E) an assessment of the particular needs and
concerns of female members of the Armed Forces and
female veterans;
(F) an assessment of the particular needs and
concerns of minority members of the Armed Forces and
minority veterans;
(G) an assessment of the particular educational and
vocational needs of such members and former members and
their families;
(H) the development, based on such assessments, of
recommendations for programs, treatments, or policy
remedies targeted at preventing, minimizing or
addressing the impacts, gaps and needs identified; and
(I) the development, based on such assessments, of
recommendations for additional research on such needs.
(d) Populations To Be Studied.--The study required under subsection
(b) shall consider the readjustment needs of each population of
individuals as follows:
(1) Members of the regular components of the Armed Forces
who are returning, or have returned, to the United States from
deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring
Freedom.
(2) Members of the National Guard and Reserve who are
returning, or have returned, to the United States from
deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring
Freedom.
(3) Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation
Enduring Freedom.
(4) Family members of the members and veterans described in
paragraphs (1) through (3).
(e) Access to Information.--The National Academy of Sciences shall
have access to such personnel, information, records, and systems of the
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs as the
National Academy of Sciences requires in order to carry out the study
required under subsection (b).
(f) Privacy of Information.--The National Academy of Sciences shall
maintain any personally identifiable information accessed by the
Academy in carrying out the study required under subsection (b) in
accordance with all applicable laws, protections, and best practices
regarding the privacy of such information, and may not permit access to
such information by any persons or entities not engaged in work under
the study.
(g) Reports.--
(1) Reports by national academy of sciences.--Upon the
completion of each phase of the study required under subsection
(b), the National Academy of Sciences shall submit to the
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a
report on such phase of the study.
(2) Reports by secretary of defense.--The Secretary of
Defense shall submit to Congress a comprehensive report on each
phase of the study required under subsection (b) not later than
30 days after the date of the completion of such phase of the
study. Each report shall set forth the report of the National
Academy of Sciences on the phase of the study concerned under
paragraph (1) and include such other information as the
Secretary considers appropriate.
(3) Public availability of reports.--The Secretary of
Defense shall make available to the public each report
submitted to Congress under paragraph (2), including by posting
an electronic copy of such report on the Internet website of
the Department of Defense that is available to the public.
(h) DoD and VA Response to NAS Reports.--
(1) Preliminary response.--Not later than 45 days after the
receipt of a report under subsection (g)(1) on each phase of
the study required under subsection (b), the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly
develop a preliminary joint Department of Defense-Department of
Veterans Affairs plan to address the findings and
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences contained
in such report. The preliminary plan shall provide preliminary
proposals on the matters set forth in paragraph (3).
(2) Final response.--Not later than 90 days after the
receipt of a report under subsection (g)(1) on each phase of
the study required under subsection (b), the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly
develop a final joint Department of Defense-Department of
Veterans Affairs plan to address the findings and
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences contained
in such report. The final plan shall provide final proposals on
the matters set forth in paragraph (3).
(3) Covered matters.--The matters set forth in this
paragraph with respect to a phase of the study required under
subsection (b) are as follows:
(A) Modifications of policy or practice within the
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans
Affairs that are necessary to address gaps in care or
services as identified by the National Academy of
Sciences under such phase of the study.
(B) Modifications of policy or practice within the
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans
Affairs that are necessary to address recommendations
made by the National Academy of Sciences under such
phase of the study.
(C) An estimate of the costs of implementing the
modifications set forth under subparagraphs (A) and
(B), set forth by fiscal year for at least the first
five fiscal years beginning after the date of the plan
concerned.
(4) Reports on responses.--The Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress
a report setting forth each joint plan developed under
paragraphs (1) and (2).
(5) Public availability of responses.--The Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall each make
available to the public each report submitted to Congress under
paragraph (4), including by posting an electronic copy of such
report on the Internet website of the Department of Defense or
the Department of Veterans Affairs, as applicable, that is
available to the public.
(6) GAO audit.--Not later than 45 days after the submittal
to Congress of the report under paragraph (4) on the final
joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan
under paragraph (2), the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to Congress a report assessing the contents
of such report under paragraph (4). The report of the
Comptroller General under this paragraph shall include--
(A) an assessment of the adequacy and sufficiency
of the final joint Department of Defense-Department of
Veterans Affairs plan in addressing the findings and
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences as
a result of the study required under subsection (b);
(B) an assessment of the feasibility and
advisability of the modifications of policy and
practice proposed in the final joint Department of
Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan;
(C) an assessment of the sufficiency and accuracy
of the cost estimates in the final joint Department of
Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan; and
(D) the comments, if any, of the National Academy
of Sciences on the final joint Department of Defense-
Department of Veterans Affairs plan.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to
be appropriated to the Department of Defense such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this section.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
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