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II
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 3581
To require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Con-
gress a report assessing Federal, State, and other mental health services
available to members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces,
and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 25, 2020
Ms. CORTEZ MASTO introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To require the Comptroller General of the United States
to submit to Congress a report assessing Federal, State,
and other mental health services available to members
of the reserve components of the Armed Forces, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Examining Mental
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Health Services for the National Guard and Reserves Act
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of 2020’’.
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
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(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
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(1) Members of the National Guard and Re-
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serves face unique challenges in balancing stressors
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in their civilian life and civilian jobs with their mili-
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tary responsibilities, including repeated deployments,
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a lack of daily interaction with their leadership, and
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the possibility of living and working far from the
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rest of their unit.
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(2) According to the 2018 annual report on sui-
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cide in the military prepared by the Department of
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Defense, the National Guard and Reserves averaged
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30.6 suicides and 22.9 suicides per 100,000 mem-
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bers, respectively, compared to 24.8 suicides per
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100,000 members for active duty members of the
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Armed Forces.
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(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
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gress that it is in the national interest of the United States
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to ensure that members of the National Guard and Re-
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serves receive high-quality mental health care and appro-
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priate support to ensure their successful reintegration into
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civilian life following deployments.
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SEC. 3. REPORT ON MILITARY MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
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FOR MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPO-
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NENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES.
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(a) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date
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of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of
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the United States shall submit to Congress a report as-
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sessing the mental health and resiliency services available
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to members of the reserve components.
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(b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection
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(a) shall include the following:
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(1) A description of all Federal, State, and
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other programs providing mental health and resil-
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iency services, including suicide prevention and
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stress management, to members of the reserve com-
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ponents, including the costs and coverage of such
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programs.
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(2) An analysis of any gaps or barriers to ac-
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cess, including geographic, financial, or social stigma
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barriers, that exist and could result in delayed or in-
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sufficient mental health care and resiliency support
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for members of the reserve components.
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(3) An evaluation of the annual mental health
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screening requirements for members of the reserve
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components and the mental health screening require-
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ments before, during, and after Federal and State
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deployments, including any recommendations to
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strengthen mental health counseling referrals and
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the reintegration of members of the reserve compo-
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nents.
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(c) RESERVE COMPONENT DEFINED.—In this sec-
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tion, the term ‘‘reserve component’’ means a reserve com-
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ponent of the Armed Forces named in section 10101 of
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title 10, United States Code.
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