[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 220 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 220

Designating the month of June 2019 as ``National Post-Traumatic Stress 
   Awareness Month'' and June 27, 2019, as ``National Post-Traumatic 
                        Stress Awareness Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019

Mr. Sullivan (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Tillis, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. 
 Cramer, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Markey, Mr. Moran, Mr. Coons, 
 Mr. Daines, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Tester, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Casey, 
 Mr. Grassley, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Hoeven, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Collins, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Young, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. 
Rubio, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Leahy, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Smith, Mr. 
Menendez, Mr. Reed, and Mr. Booker) submitted the following resolution; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Designating the month of June 2019 as ``National Post-Traumatic Stress 
   Awareness Month'' and June 27, 2019, 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 2,770,000 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 current generation of men and women in the Armed Forces has 
        sustained a high rate of operational deployments, with many members of 
        the Armed Forces serving 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 approximately--

    (1) 11 to 20 percent of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom 
or Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year;

    (2) 12 percent of veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War have PTSD 
in a given year; and

    (3) 30 percent of veterans who served in the Vietnam era have had PTSD 
in their lifetimes;

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 trauma during service in the Armed Forces 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 
        disorders create unique challenges for veterans seeking employment;
Whereas the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 
        veterans service organizations, 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 this mental health 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;

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 the word ``disorder'' perpetuates the stigma associated with combat 
        stress; 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 2019 as ``National Post-Traumatic 
        Stress Awareness Month'' and June 27, 2019, 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) supports efforts by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        and the Secretary of Defense to foster cultural change around 
        the issue of post-traumatic stress, understanding that personal 
        interactions can save lives and advance treatment;
            (4) welcomes the efforts of the National Center for Post-
        Traumatic Stress Disorder 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;
            (5) encourages officers of the Armed Forces to support 
        appropriate treatment of men and women of the Armed Forces who 
        suffer from post-traumatic stress;
            (6) recognizes the impact of post-traumatic stress on the 
        spouses and families of members of the Armed Forces and 
        veterans; and
            (7) 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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