[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2497 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2497

 To ensure that families of members of the National Guard and Reserve 
    have full access to mental health care during the mobilization, 
deployment, and demobilization of such members, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 18, 2007

 Ms. Klobuchar introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To ensure that families of members of the National Guard and Reserve 
    have full access to mental health care during the mobilization, 
deployment, and demobilization of such members, 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. ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE OF FAMILIES OF MEMBERS OF THE 
              NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE DURING THEIR MOBILIZATION, 
              DEPLOYMENT, AND DEMOBILIZATION.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The members of the National Guard and Reserve have made 
        extraordinary contributions to Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
        Operation Enduring Freedom.
            (2) The scope and scale of recent mobilizations and 
        deployments of members of the National Guard and Reserve is 
        unprecedented in the modern history of the Armed Forces.
            (3) The frequency and length of such mobilizations and 
        deployments has placed significant strain on the family members 
        of deployed members.
            (4) The Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health 
        determined that family members of deployed members of the 
        National Guard and Reserve are more likely to experience mental 
        health challenges as a result of these mobilizations and 
        deployments.
            (5) The Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health 
        also determined that family members of deployed members of the 
        National Guard and Reserve are less likely to have ready access 
        to mental health care during periods of deployment.
            (6) Family members of members of the National Guard and 
        Reserve often live far from military installations that are the 
        primary locations for mental health care provided by the 
        Department of Defense.
            (7) Adequate support for family members of deployed members 
        of the Armed Forces is critical to maintaining morale, both on 
        the battlefield and on the home front.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Department of Defense should undertake appropriate actions to ensure 
that family members of members of the National Guard and Reserve who 
are deployed have full access to mental health care during the periods 
of mobilization, deployment, and demobilization of such members of the 
National Guard and Reserve.
    (c) Initiative To Increase Access to Mental Health Care.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall undertake a 
        nationwide initiative intended to increase access to mental 
        health care for family members of members of the National Guard 
        and Reserve who are mobilized.
            (2) Elements.--The initiative shall include the following:
                    (A) Programs and activities to educate the family 
                members of members of the National Guard and Reserve 
                who are mobilized on potential mental health challenges 
                connected with such mobilization.
                    (B) Programs and activities to provide such family 
                members with complete information on all mental health 
                care resources available to such family members through 
                the Department of Defense and otherwise.
                    (C) Requirements for mental health counselors at 
                military installations in communities with large 
                numbers of mobilized members of the National Guard and 
                Reserve to expand the reach of their counseling 
                activities to include families of such members in such 
                communities.
    (d) Mental Health Care Under TRICARE.--
            (1) In general.--Under such regulations as the Secretary of 
        Defense shall prescribe, reimbursement shall be provided under 
        the TRICARE program under chapter 55 of title 10, United States 
        Code, for any mental health care specified in paragraph (3) 
        that is provided to a family member of a covered member of the 
        National Guard or Reserve during the period of deployment of 
        such covered member of the National Guard or Reserve as 
        described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Covered members of the national guard or reserve.--For 
        purposes of this subsection, a covered member of the National 
        Guard or Reserve is any member of the National Guard or Reserve 
        on active duty for more than 30 days for a deployment in 
        connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
        Freedom who, while so on active duty, is covered by the TRICARE 
        program on a for self and family basis.
            (3) Mental health care.--The mental health care specified 
        in this paragraph is mental health care as follows:
                    (A) Mental health care otherwise provided to 
                covered dependents of members of the uniformed services 
                under the TRICARE program.
                    (B) Any mental health care and treatment that is 
                provided at a facility accredited by the Joint 
                Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare 
                Organizations.
                    (C) Any mental health care and treatment that is 
                provided at a facility accredited by a State-
                accrediting institution, including a facility not 
                otherwise recognized as an authorized provider under 
                the TRICARE program.
                    (D) Chemical dependency treatment at any partial 
                hospital program, substance-abuse disorder 
                rehabilitation facility, or residential treatment 
                center accredited by the Joint Commission on 
                Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations or by a 
                State-accrediting institution.
            (4) Effective date.--This subsection shall take effect on 
        January 1, 2008.
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the 
        Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
        Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a 
        report on this section.
            (2) Elements.--Each report shall include the following:
                    (A) A current assessment of the extent to which 
                family members of members of the National Guard and 
                Reserve who are deployed have access to, and are 
                utilizing, mental health care available under this 
                section.
                    (B) A current assessment of the quality of mental 
                health care being provided d to family members of the 
                National Guard and Reserve who are deployed at State-
                accredited treatment centers.
                    (C) Such recommendations for legislative or 
                administrative action as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate in order to further assure full access by 
                family members of members of the National Guard and 
                Reserve who are deployed to mental health care during 
                the mobilization, deployment, and demobilization of 
                such members of the National Guard and Reserve.
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