[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 203 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 203

Designating the month of June 2017, as ``National Post-Traumatic Stress 
   Awareness Month'' and June 27, 2017, as ``National Post-Traumatic 
                        Stress Awareness Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 26, 2017

  Ms. Heitkamp (for herself, Mr. Heller, Mr. Tester, Mr. Tillis, Ms. 
    Baldwin, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Brown, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Murphy, Mr. 
     Kennedy, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Roberts, Mr. 
  Blumenthal, Mr. Daines, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. 
 Collins, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Markey, Mr. Casey, 
 Mr. Peters, Mr. Warner, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. 
  Bennet, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Franken, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Designating the month of June 2017, as ``National Post-Traumatic Stress 
   Awareness Month'' and June 27, 2017, as ``National Post-Traumatic 
                        Stress Awareness Day''.

Whereas the brave men and women of the Armed Forces, who proudly serve the 
        United States, risk their lives to protect the freedom of the people of 
        the United States and deserve the investment of every possible resource 
        to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and emotional well-being;
Whereas more than 2,000,000 members of the Armed Forces have deployed overseas 
        since the events of September 11, 2001, and have served in places such 
        as Afghanistan and Iraq;
Whereas the Armed Forces have sustained a historically high operational tempo 
        since September 11, 2001, with many members of the Armed Forces 
        deploying overseas multiple times, placing those members at high risk of 
        experiencing combat stress;
Whereas, when left untreated, exposure to traumatic combat stress can lead to 
        post-traumatic stress, sometimes referred to as post-traumatic stress 
        disorder (in this preamble referred to as ``PTSD'') or post-traumatic 
        stress injury;
Whereas men and women of the Armed Forces and veterans who served before 
        September 11, 2001, remain at risk for post-traumatic stress;
Whereas the Secretary of Veterans Affairs reports that about 11-20 percent of 
        veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
        Freedom have PTSD in a given year, about 12 percent of Gulf War veterans 
        have PTSD in a given year, and about 30 percent of Vietnam veterans have 
        had PTSD in their lifetime;
Whereas many combat stress injuries remain unreported, undiagnosed, and 
        untreated due to a lack of awareness about post-traumatic stress and the 
        persistent stigma associated with mental health conditions;
Whereas exposure to military trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress;
Whereas post-traumatic stress significantly increases the risk of anxiety, 
        depression, suicide, homelessness, and drug- and alcohol-related 
        disorders and deaths, especially if left untreated;
Whereas public perceptions of post-traumatic stress or other mental health 
        conditions create unique challenges for veterans seeking employment;
Whereas the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, as 
        well as the larger medical community, both private and public, have made 
        significant advances in the identification, prevention, diagnosis, and 
        treatment of post-traumatic stress and the symptoms of post-traumatic 
        stress, but many challenges remain;
Whereas increased understanding of post-traumatic stress can help eliminate the 
        stigma attached to the issue;
Whereas additional efforts are needed to find further ways to eliminate the 
        stigma associated with post-traumatic stress, including--

    (1) an examination of how post-traumatic stress is discussed in the 
United States; and

    (2) a recognition that post-traumatic stress is a common injury that is 
treatable and repairable;

Whereas post-traumatic stress can result from any number of stressors other than 
        combat, including rape, sexual assault, battery, torture, confinement, 
        child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or 
        natural disasters, and affects approximately 8,000,000 adults in the 
        United States annually;
Whereas the diagnosis now known as PTSD was first defined by the American 
        Psychiatric Association in 1980 to commonly and more accurately 
        understand and treat veterans who had endured severe traumatic combat 
        stress;
Whereas combat stress had previously been viewed as a mental illness and the 
        word ``disorder'' carries a stigma that perpetuates this misconception; 
        and
Whereas the designation of a National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month and 
        a National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day will raise public 
        awareness about issues related to post-traumatic stress, reduce the 
        associated stigma, and help ensure that those individuals suffering from 
        the invisible wounds of war receive proper treatment: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 2017, as ``National Post-Traumatic 
        Stress Awareness Month'' and June 27, 2017, as ``National Post-
        Traumatic Stress Awareness Day'';
            (2) supports the efforts of the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs and the Secretary of Defense, as well as the entire 
        medical community, to educate members of the Armed Forces, 
        veterans, the families of members of the Armed Forces and 
        veterans, and the public about the causes, symptoms, and 
        treatment of post-traumatic stress;
            (3) welcomes the efforts of the National Center for PTSD of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs and local Vet Centers (as 
        defined in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United States Code) to 
        provide assistance to veterans who are suffering from the 
        effects of post-traumatic stress;
            (4) encourages commanders of the Armed Forces to support 
        appropriate treatment of men and women of the Armed Forces who 
        suffer from post-traumatic stress; and
            (5) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
        transmit a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs and the Secretary of Defense.
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