Medical Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers Act of 2014 or the MEPS Act - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to: (1) provide an individual with a mental health assessment before such individual enlists or is commissioned as an officer in an Armed Force, and (2) use such results as a baseline for any subsequent mental health examinations.
Prohibits the Secretary from considering the results of such assessment in determining the assignment or promotion of a member of the Armed Forces.
Directs the Secretary to treat such assessment in the same manner as medical records with respect to laws and regulations relating to the privacy of information.
Requires the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to submit to Congress and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) a report on preliminary mental health assessments of members of the Armed Forces, including recommendations regarding: (1) establishing a preliminary mental health assessment of members of the Armed Forces to establish parity with physical screenings; and (2) the composition of the mental health assessment, best practices, and how to track assessment changes relating to traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4305 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4305
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide an individual with a
mental health assessment before the individual enlists in the Armed
Forces or is commissioned as an officer in the Armed Forces.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2014
Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Roe of
Tennessee, Mrs. Christensen, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Kelly of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Marino, Mr. Jones, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Mr. Barletta,
and Mr. Meadows) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide an individual with a
mental health assessment before the individual enlists in the Armed
Forces or is commissioned as an officer in the Armed Forces.
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 ``Medical Evaluation Parity for
Servicemembers Act of 2014'' or the ``MEPS Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) More focus needs to be put on mental health in America.
(2) The large number of suicides among veterans and members
of the Armed Forces is unacceptable, especially given that more
members have died by suicide than in combat.
(3) Many of those suicides in the military were members of
the Armed Forces who never deployed.
(4) Members of the Armed Forces, having been at war for
more than a decade, have been put through acute physical and
mental stress.
(5) Many of the suicides in the Armed Forces can be
prevented, and studies have found that improved screening
reduced later behavioral problems by 78 percent and reduced
thoughts of suicide by more than half.
(6) Although the military currently has a baseline
measurement process for physical health, the military does not
currently have similar standards for mental health.
(7) It is important that the military ensures that the
members of the Armed Forces are both physically and mentally
fit for all the missions the United States requires.
SEC. 3. PRELIMINARY MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 31 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 520d. Preliminary mental health assessments
``(a) Provision of Mental Health Assessment.--Before any individual
enlists in an armed force or is commissioned as an officer in an armed
force, the Secretary concerned shall provide the individual with a
mental health assessment. The Secretary shall use such results as a
baseline for any subsequent mental health examinations, including such
examinations provided under sections 1074f and 1074m of this title.
``(b) Use of Assessment.--The Secretary may not consider the
results of a mental health assessment conducted under subsection (a) in
determining the assignment or promotion of a member of the Armed
Forces.
``(c) Application of Privacy Laws.--With respect to applicable laws
and regulations relating to the privacy of information, the Secretary
shall treat a mental health assessment conducted under subsection (a)
in the same manner as the medical records of a member of the Armed
Forces.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section
520c the following new item:
``520d. Preliminary mental health assessments.''.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the National Institute of Mental
Health of the National Institutes of Health shall submit to
Congress and the Secretary of Defense a report on preliminary
mental health assessments of members of the Armed Forces.
(2) Matters included.--The report under paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) Recommendations with respect to establishing a
preliminary mental health assessment of members of the
Armed Forces to bring mental health screenings to
parity with physical screenings of members.
(B) Recommendations with respect to the composition
of the mental health assessment, best practices, and
how to track assessment changes relating to traumatic
brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and
other conditions.
(3) Coordination.--The National Institute of Mental Health
shall carry out paragraph (1) in coordination with the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the surgeons general of the
military departments, and other relevant experts.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H3065)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H3148)
Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
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