[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3641 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3641

 To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program for 
  evidence-based perinatal mental health prevention for pregnant and 
 postpartum members of the Armed Forces and dependents, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 23, 2024

 Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Mrs. Fischer) introduced the following 
   bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program for 
  evidence-based perinatal mental health prevention for pregnant and 
 postpartum members of the Armed Forces and dependents, 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 ``Maintaining Our Obligation to Moms 
Who Serve Act of 2024'' or the ``MOMS Who Serve Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. PREVENTING PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AMONGST PREGNANT 
              AND POSTPARTUM SERVICEWOMEN AND DEPENDENTS TO IMPROVE 
              MILITARY READINESS.

    (a) Pilot Program.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Defense Health Agency, shall establish a pilot 
        program to assess the feasibility and impact of providing 
        evidence-based perinatal mental health prevention programs for 
        eligible members and dependents within military treatment 
        facilities with the goal of reducing the rates of perinatal 
        mental health conditions and improving the military readiness 
        of members of the Armed Forces and their families.
            (2) Implementation.--In implementing the pilot program, the 
        Secretary shall--
                    (A) integrate evidence-based perinatal mental 
                health prevention programs for eligible members and 
                dependents within existing maternal or pediatric care 
                or programming, including primary care, obstetric care, 
                pediatric care, and family and parenting programs, when 
                applicable;
                    (B) select sites for the pilot program--
                            (i) in a manner that represents the 
                        diversity of the Armed Forces, including--
                                    (I) not fewer than 2 military 
                                treatment facilities for each military 
                                department; and
                                    (II) geographically diverse sites 
                                across the United States, excluding any 
                                territory or possession of the United 
                                States; and
                            (ii) by prioritizing of military treatment 
                        facilities with established maternal health 
                        programs or women's clinics;
                    (C) implement the prevention programs at times, 
                locations, and in a manner that incentivizes 
                participation by eligible members and dependents, 
                including by removing barriers to participation, such 
                as childcare availability, differences in military rank 
                and occupation, and any other factors as the Secretary 
                shall determine; and
                    (D) increase awareness of and encourage 
                participation in care and programming for eligible 
                members and dependents.
    (b) Advisory Committee.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an 
        advisory committee to assist the Secretary in implementing the 
        pilot program pursuant to subsection (a)(2).
            (2) Composition.--Members of the advisory committee shall--
                    (A) be appointed by the Secretary; and
                    (B) include--
                            (i) members of the Armed Forces and 
                        dependents, including individuals who--
                                    (I) are or have experienced 
                                perinatal care in the previous five 
                                years while in the Armed Forces;
                                    (II) represent various military 
                                departments and ranks; and
                                    (III) experienced a perinatal 
                                mental health condition.
                            (ii) individuals with experience at 
                        military and veteran service organizations;
                            (iii) experts in perinatal mental health 
                        promotion, prevention, and intervention; and
                            (iv) representatives from the Federal 
                        Maternal Mental Health Hotline and related 
                        perinatal mental health programs.
            (3) Duties.--In implementing the pilot program pursuant to 
        subsection (a)(2), the advisory committee shall provide 
        recommendations to the Secretary with respect to the following:
                    (A) Identification of evidence-based perinatal 
                prevention programs.
                    (B) Strategies to increase diversity in 
                participation of eligible members and dependents.
                    (C) Outreach to eligible members and dependents on 
                the benefits of prevention and the availability of 
                pilot program participation.
                    (D) Strategies to reduce stigma with respect to 
                perinatal mental health conditions and the use of 
                prevention programs.
            (4) Termination.--Section 1013 of title 5, United States 
        Code, shall not apply to the advisory committee.
    (c) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance to military treatment facilities in implementing evidence-
based perinatal prevention programs pursuant to subsection (a) and 
outside of the pilot program.
    (d) Study.--Not later than June 30, 2029, the Secretary shall 
conduct a study of the effectiveness of the pilot program in preventing 
or reducing the onset of symptoms of perinatal mental health conditions 
for eligible and dependents.
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) Annual report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
        Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees 
        a report on the progress of the pilot program during the 
        previous calendar year, including the number of eligible 
        members and dependents completing a prevention program, 
        disaggregated by type of prevention program, military 
        component, military occupation, rank, marital status, location 
        and setting of delivery, sex, age, race, and ethnicity.
            (2) Final report.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the 
                termination of the pilot program under subsection (g), 
                the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense 
                committees a final report, which shall include--
                            (i) the progress of the pilot program 
                        during the life of the pilot program;
                            (ii) the number of eligible members and 
                        dependents who completed a prevention program 
                        during the life of the pilot program, 
                        disaggregated by type of prevention program, 
                        military component, military occupation, rank, 
                        marital status, location and setting of 
                        delivery, sex, age, race, and ethnicity;
                            (iii) an assessment and findings with 
                        respect to the study required by subsection 
                        (e);
                            (iv) recommendations on whether the pilot 
                        program should be continued or more widely 
                        adopted by the Department of Defense; and
                            (v) recommendations on how to scale the 
                        pilot program and ensure cost-effective 
                        sustainability.
                    (B) Public availability.--The final report shall be 
                made publicly available on a website of the Department 
                of Defense.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029.
    (g) Sunset.--The pilot program shall terminate on December 31, 
2029.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (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.--The term ``dependent'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 1072 of title 10, United States 
        Code.
            (3) Eligible member.--The term ``eligible member'' means a 
        member of the Armed Forces who--
                    (A) is pregnant; or
                    (B) is not more than 1 year postpartum.
            (4) Perinatal mental health condition.--The term 
        ``perinatal mental health condition'' means a mental health 
        disorder that onsets during the pregnancy or within the one-
        year postpartum period.
            (5) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the 
        pilot program established under section 2(a).
            (6) Prevention program.--The term ``prevention program'' 
        means a program or activity that averts or decreases the onset 
        or symptoms of a perinatal mental health condition.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Defense.
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