[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2689 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2689

   To amend section 411h of title 37, United States Code, to provide 
 travel and transportation allowances for family members of members of 
 the uniformed services with serious inpatient psychiatric conditions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 4, 2008

Mr. Smith (for himself, Mr. Bayh, and Mr. Nelson of Florida) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                           on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend section 411h of title 37, United States Code, to provide 
 travel and transportation allowances for family members of members of 
 the uniformed services with serious inpatient psychiatric conditions.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION OF FAMILY MEMBERS INCIDENT TO 
              SERIOUS INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS OF MEMBERS OF 
              THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (2)(B)(i) of subsection (a) of section 
411h of title 37, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``seriously injured, or in'' and inserting ``is seriously injured, has 
a serious psychiatric condition and meets the conditions set forth in 
paragraph (4), or is in''.
    (b) Conditions Applicable to Servicemembers With Serious 
Psychiatric Conditions.--Such subsection is further amended by adding 
at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(4) Travel and transportation described in subsection (c) may be 
provided under this subsection for family members of a member of the 
uniformed services described under paragraph (2) who has a serious 
psychiatric condition if the following conditions are met:
            ``(A) The member is receiving treatment at a treatment 
        facility located in the United States.
            ``(B) The travel and transportation is provided pursuant to 
        travel orders issued upon the recommendation of a physician, 
        including a recommendation that the family presence would be 
        helpful and beneficial to the treatment and recovery of the 
        member.
            ``(C) Safe and appropriate accommodations are made 
        available to the family members.''.
    (c) Serious Psychiatric Condition Defined.--Subsection (b) of such 
section is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(4) In this section, the term `serious psychiatric condition', in 
the case of a member, means that the member has been diagnosed with a 
psychotic condition requiring hospitalization, has attempted suicide or 
exhibited suicidal behavior (as verified by appropriate medical 
personnel), or has been diagnosed with any other psychiatric condition 
that requires extensive medical treatment or hospitalization. A member 
placed within the Special Patient (SPEPAT) or Special Category 
(SPECCAT) casualty category is a member with a serious psychiatric 
condition for purposes of this section.''.
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