[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3809 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3809

 To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
study on prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions among members 
               of the Armed Forces and their dependents.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2020

  Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Mr. Kaine) 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 conduct a 
study on prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions among members 
               of the Armed Forces and their dependents.

    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 ``Military Moms' Mental Health 
Assessment Act''.

SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY ON PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM MENTAL 
              HEALTH CONDITIONS AMONG MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND 
              THEIR DEPENDENTS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) In 2018, 52,535 members of the Armed Forces and their 
        dependents gave birth at military medical treatment facilities 
        or civilian hospitals where the Department of Defense purchased 
        care.
            (2) Members of the Armed Forces and military spouses often 
        give birth alone due to deployments or training exercises that 
        prevent their birthing partner from being present during 
        childbirth.
            (3) Members of the military community are sometimes 
        uniquely isolated from their support networks due to frequent 
        permanent changes of station or during deployments.
            (4) Social isolation and frequent moves can impact mental 
        health outcomes of pregnant members of the Armed Forces or 
        military spouses, while also interrupting the continuity of 
        mental health care or other medical care.
            (5) Some studies have concluded that women with deployed 
        spouses show high stress levels and increased risk for prenatal 
        and postpartum mood disorders, including depression, which may 
        explain adverse birth outcomes.
            (6) According to the American College of Obstetricians and 
        Gynecologists, deployment status is strongly associated with an 
        increased risk of depression during pregnancy and the 
        postpartum period.
            (7) The Department of Defense determined that pregnant 
        members of the Armed Forces and veterans more commonly 
        experience mental health issues than nonpregnant members of the 
        Armed Forces and veterans and pregnant women in the general 
        population.
            (8) Some studies have indicated that minority women in the 
        civilian community are more likely to experience prenatal and 
        postpartum mood disorders, but that minority women are less 
        likely to seek or receive treatment, and there are troubling 
        racial and ethnic disparities in the initiation and 
        continuation of prenatal and postpartum mental health care.
            (9) Despite some studies regarding prenatal care, 
        postpartum health, and social support during pregnancy and 
        child birth among the military community, those studies have 
        been limited in scope, and there is little research related to 
        prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions and mental 
        health care among military spouses and active duty members of 
        the Armed Forces to support policy reforms.
            (10) Members of the Armed Forces and military spouses might 
        refrain from seeking mental health care due to stigma and fear 
        of potential repercussions on employment or career progression.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) members of the military community, including members of 
        the Armed Forces and military spouses, are vulnerable to 
        prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions given the 
        unique challenges those individuals face due to frequent 
        deployments and permanent changes of station;
            (2) additional studies and research regarding prenatal and 
        postpartum mental health conditions among members of the Armed 
        Forces and military spouses are necessary to identify gaps in, 
        and barriers to, mental health care provided to beneficiaries 
        under the TRICARE program, including an assessment of issues 
        such as stigma, negative career impact, and discrimination or 
        retaliation against members of the Armed Forces and military 
        spouses;
            (3) additional studies and research are necessary to 
        determine whether minority women in the Armed Forces and 
        minority military spouses--
                    (A) experience prenatal and postpartum mood 
                disorders at a higher rate;
                    (B) are more likely to experience racial and ethnic 
                disparities in health care access; or
                    (C) are less likely to initiate or continue 
                prenatal or postpartum mental health care; and
            (4) more information will enable the Department of Defense 
        to better address the prenatal and postpartum mental health 
        needs of members of the Armed Forces and military spouses.
    (c) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct a study on prenatal and postpartum mental 
        health conditions among members of the Armed Forces and 
        dependents of such members.
            (2) Elements.--The study required under paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the extent to which 
                beneficiaries under the TRICARE program, including 
                members of the Armed Forces and dependents of such 
                members, are diagnosed with prenatal or postpartum 
                mental health conditions, including--
                            (i) prenatal or postpartum depression;
                            (ii) prenatal or postpartum anxiety 
                        disorder;
                            (iii) prenatal or postpartum obsessive 
                        compulsive disorder;
                            (iv) prenatal or postpartum psychosis; and
                            (v) other relevant mood disorders.
                    (B) A demographic assessment of the population 
                included in the study with respect to race, ethnicity, 
                sex, age, relationship status, military service, 
                military occupation, and rank, where applicable.
                    (C) An assessment of the status of prenatal and 
                postpartum mental health care for beneficiaries under 
                the TRICARE program, including those who seek care at 
                military medical treatment facilities and those who 
                rely on civilian providers.
                    (D) An assessment of the ease or delay for 
                beneficiaries under the TRICARE program in obtaining 
                treatment for prenatal and postpartum mental health 
                conditions, including--
                            (i) an assessment of wait times for mental 
                        health treatment at each military medical 
                        treatment facility; and
                            (ii) a description of the reasons such 
                        beneficiaries may cease seeking such treatment.
                    (E) A comparison of the rates of prenatal or 
                postpartum mental health conditions within the military 
                community to such rates in the civilian population, as 
                reported by the Centers for Disease Control and 
                Prevention.
                    (F) An assessment of any effects of implicit or 
                explicit bias in prenatal and postpartum mental health 
                care under the TRICARE program, or evidence of racial 
                or socioeconomic barriers to such care.
            (3) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to 
        the congressional defense committees a report on the findings 
        of the study conducted under paragraph (1), including--
                    (A) recommendations for actions to be taken by the 
                Secretary of Defense to improve prenatal and postpartum 
                mental health among members of the Armed Forces and 
                dependents of such members; and
                    (B) such other recommendations as the Comptroller 
                General determines appropriate.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Congressional defense committees.--The term 
        ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code.
            (2) Dependent; tricare program.--The terms ``dependent'' 
        and ``TRICARE program'' have the meanings given those terms in 
        section 1072 of such title.
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