[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5061 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5061

  To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to 
 survey access to mental health care under the military health system, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 20, 2021

Miss Gonzalez-Colon (for herself, Mr. Ryan, Mrs. Bice of Oklahoma, and 
Mr. Reschenthaler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to 
 survey access to mental health care under the military health system, 
                        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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mental Health Stigma in the Military 
Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO SURVEY ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE UNDER 
              MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM.

    (a) Pilot Program.--Beginning not later than October 1, 2021, the 
Secretary of Defense shall carry out a pilot program to survey access 
to mental health care under the military health system.
    (b) Elements.--In carrying out the pilot program under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall ensure that command climate surveys 
administered to active duty members of the Armed Forces of not fewer 
than 20 commands (10 of which shall be deployable) per military 
department are updated to include questions on access to mental health 
care under the military health system. Such questions shall address the 
following:
            (1) The perceived ability of the respondent to access 
        mental health care under the military health system.
            (2) Whether the respondent has previously been prohibited 
        from, or advised against, accessing such care.
            (3) Any overall stigma perceived by the respondent with 
        respect to such care.
    (c) Termination.--The authority to carry out the pilot program 
under subsection (a) shall terminate on July 1, 2022.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date on which the 
pilot program under subsection (a) terminates, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report on the results of the updated 
surveys administered pursuant to the pilot program.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``active duty'', 
``Armed Forces'', and ``military departments'' have the meanings given 
those terms in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
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