[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3256 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3256

   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 31, 2007

 Mr. Kennedy 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 2007''.

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 decision-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.

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 2008 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.
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