[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 47 (Thursday, March 19, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H1774]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THE MEDICAL EVALUATION PARITY FOR SERVICEMEMBERS ACT

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today, along with the 
gentleman from Ohio, Congressman Tim Ryan, I am introducing the Medical 
Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers Act.
  This legislation, which has strong bipartisan support and the support 
of a large number of military and mental health advocacy groups, will 
help the military identify behavioral health issues and improve suicide 
prevention by instituting a mental health assessment for all incoming 
military recruits.
  A recent Army study confirmed the need to address mental health 
issues in a timely manner, finding that ``nearly one in five Army 
soldiers enter the service with a psychiatric disorder, and nearly half 
of all soldiers who tried suicide first attempted it before 
enlisting.''
  Our military makes sure that every servicemember is physically fit 
for duty, and this legislation will ensure that they are also mentally 
fit. Furthermore, it will ensure that we have a better baseline against 
which to measure any potential mental harm that may have occurred 
during their duty.
  These brave men and women put their lives on the line every day in 
the service of our Nation, and it is our duty to offer everything in 
our power to guarantee they return home safely, both physically and 
mentally.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, 
bipartisan legislation.

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