This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a task force to examine matters relating to the mental health of members of the Armed Forces. The task force must submit a report to DOD that includes recommendations related to the mental health services provided to members of the Armed Forces. DOD must develop a plan based on the recommendations of the task force.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3011 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3011
To establish a task force of the Department of Defense on mental
health.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 28, 2023
Mr. Kilmer (for himself, Mr. Wittman, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Reschenthaler,
Ms. Norton, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Nickel, Mr. Kelly of
Mississippi, Ms. Sherrill, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Wild, Mr. Womack, Mr. Bishop
of Georgia, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. McCollum, Mrs. McClellan, Ms. Titus,
Mr. Scott of Virginia, and Mr. Norcross) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a task force of the Department of Defense on mental
health.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. TASK FORCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ON MENTAL HEALTH.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish a task
force to examine matters relating to the mental health of members of
the Armed Forces.
(b) Membership.--
(1) Qualifications.--The Secretary of Defense shall appoint
to the task force individuals who have demonstrated expertise
in the following areas:
(A) National mental health policy.
(B) Military personnel policy.
(C) Research in the field of mental health.
(D) Clinical care in mental health.
(E) Military chaplain or pastoral care.
(2) Number; composition.--The Secretary shall appoint not
more than 15 individuals to the task force in accordance with
the following:
(A) DOD appointees.--One half of the appointees
shall include--
(i) at least one member of each of the
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the
National Guard;
(ii) at least one surgeon general of an
Armed Force; and
(iii) at least one dependent of a member of
the Armed Forces who has experience working
with military families.
(B) Non-DOD appointees.--One half of the appointees
shall be individuals who are not members of the Armed
Forces, civilian employees of the Department of
Defense, or dependents of such members, including--
(i) an officer or employee of the
Department of Veterans Affairs; and
(ii) an officer or employee of the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration of the Department of Health and
Human Services.
(C) Deadline.--The Secretary of Defense shall
appoint all members not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(D) Co-chairs.--There shall be two co-chairs of the
task force, one of the whom shall be designated by the
Secretary at the time of appointment from among the
individuals appointed under subparagraph (A). The other
co-chair shall be selected from among the members
appointed under subparagraph (B) by members so
appointed.
(c) Assessment and Recommendations on Mental Health Services.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 12 months after the date on
which all members of the task force have been appointed, the
task force shall submit to the Secretary a report containing an
assessment of, and recommendations for improving, the efficacy
of mental health services provided to members of the Armed
Forces by the Department of Defense.
(2) Utilization of other efforts.--In preparing the report,
the task force shall take into consideration completed and
ongoing efforts by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs to improve the efficacy of mental health
care provided to members of the Armed Forces.
(3) Elements.--The assessment and recommendations
(including recommendations for legislative or administrative
action) shall include measures to improve the following:
(A) The awareness of the potential for mental
health conditions of members of the Armed Forces.
(B) The access to, and efficacy of, existing
programs (include telehealth programs) in primary care
and mental health care to prevent, identify, and treat
mental health conditions of members of the Armed
Forces, including programs for--
(i) forward-deployed troops;
(ii) members of the reserve components; and
(iii) members assigned to remote or austere
duty locations.
(C) The access to adequate telehealth resources
including for members described in subparagraph (B),
including access to equipment, bandwidth, and platforms
used to deliver care.
(D) The assessment of disruptions to mental health
care as a result of frequent changes to TRICARE
eligibility and coverage for members of the National
Guard, as well as potential benefits of more consistent
care.
(E) Analysis of the potential effect on access and
outcomes for members serving on active duty as a result
of proposed cuts to military end strengths regarding
members with medical military occupational specialties.
(F) The access to and programs for family members
of members of the Armed Forces, including family
members overseas.
(G) Access to, and quality of, private mental
health care received by members through TRICARE.
(H) The reduction or elimination of barriers to
care, including the stigma associated with mental
health conditions, by measures including enhanced
confidentiality for members who seek care for such
conditions.
(I) The awareness of mental health services
available to dependents of members.
(J) The adequacy of outreach, education, and
support programs on mental health matters for families
of members.
(K) The early identification and treatment of
mental health and substance abuse problems through the
use of internal mass media communications (including
radio, and television, social media) and other
education tools to change attitudes within the Armed
Forces regarding mental health and substance abuse
treatment.
(L) The transition from mental health care
furnished by the Secretary of Defense to such care
furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(M) The availability of long-term follow-up and
access to care for mental health conditions for members
of the Individual Ready Reserve and the Selected
Reserve and for discharged, separated, or retired
members of the Armed Forces.
(N) Collaboration between agencies of the
Department of Defense with responsibility for, or
jurisdiction over, the provision of mental health
services.
(O) Coordination between the Department of Defense
and civilian communities, including State, local,
Tribal, and territorial governments, and local support
organizations, with respect to mental health services.
(P) Coordination between the Department of Defense
and relevant Federal stakeholders, including the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration,
National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for
Disease Control.
(Q) The scope and efficacy of curricula and
training on mental health matters for commanders in the
Armed Forces.
(R) The efficiency and effectiveness of pre- and
post-deployment mental health screenings, including
mental health screenings for members of the Armed
Forces.
(S) The effectiveness of mental health programs
provided in languages other than English.
(T) Tracking the use of behavioral health services
and related outcomes, including wait times, continuity
of care, symptom resolution, and maintenance of
improvements resulting from treatment.
(U) Other matters the task force determines
appropriate.
(d) Administrative Matters.--
(1) Compensation.--Each member of the task force who is a
member of the Armed Forces or a civilian officer or employee of
the United States shall serve without compensation (other than
compensation to which entitled as a member of the Armed Forces
or an officer or employee of the United States, as the case may
be). Other members of the task force shall be treated for
purposes of section 3161 of title 5, United States Code, as
having been appointed under subsection (b) of such section.
(2) Oversight.--The Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness shall oversee the activities of the
task force.
(3) Administrative support.--The Washington Headquarters
Services of the Department of Defense shall provide the task
force with personnel, facilities, and other administrative
support as necessary for the performance of the duties of the
task force.
(4) Access to facilities.--The Under Secretary of Defense
for Personnel and Readiness shall, in coordination with the
Secretaries of the military departments, ensure appropriate
access by the task force to military installations and
facilities for purposes of the discharge of the duties of the
task force.
(e) Report.--
(1) Submission to secretary of defense.--The task force
shall submit to the Secretary of Defense a report on its
activities under this section. The report shall include--
(A) a description of the activities of the task
force;
(B) the assessment and recommendations required by
subsection (c); and
(C) other matters that the task force determines
appropriate.
(2) Submission to congress.--Not later than 90 days after
receipt of the report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
submit to the Committees on Armed Services, and on Veterans'
Affairs, of the Senate and the House of Representatives, a copy
such report. The Secretary may include in such submission
comments on the report the Secretary determines appropriate.
(f) Termination.--The task force shall terminate 90 days after the
date on which the report of the task force is submitted to Congress
under subsection (e)(2).
(g) Plan of the Secretary.--Not later than six months after receipt
of the report from the task force under subsection (e), the Secretary
of Defense shall develop a plan based on the recommendations of the
task force and submit the plan to the congressional defense committees.
(h) Reports by the Secretary.--For each of the five years following
the submission of the report from the Department of Defense Task Force
on Mental Health, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
congressional defense committees a report on the recommendations made
by the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health with respect
to the Determinations. Department of Defense. Each such report shall
include--
(1) for each such recommendation, the determination of the
Secretary of Defense whether to implement the recommendation;
(2) in the case of a recommendation the Secretary intends
to implement, the intended timeline for implementation, a
description of any additional resources or authorities required
for such implementation, and the plan for such implementation;
(3) in the case of a recommendation the Secretary
determines is not advisable or feasible, the analysis and
justification of the Secretary in making that determination;
and
(4) in the case of a recommendation the Secretary
determines the Department is already implementing, the analysis
and justification of the Secretary in making that
determination.
(i) Briefings by the Secretary.--Not less than once each of the
five years following the submission of the report, the Secretary of
Defense shall provide to the congressional defense committees a
briefing on--
(1) the progress of the Secretary in analyzing and
implementing the recommendations made by the task force;
(2) any programs, projects, or other activities of the
Department of Defense that are being carried out to implement
such recommendations; and
(3) the amount of funding provided for such programs,
projects, and activities.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
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