[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 89 (Thursday, June 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3785-S3786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1617. Mr. DONNELLY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to 
prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       Strike section 713 and insert the following:

     SEC. 713. IMPROVEMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDED BY 
                   HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                   DEFENSE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Training on Recognition and Management of Risk of 
     Suicide.--
       (1) Initial training.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned 
     shall ensure that all primary care and mental health care 
     providers under the jurisdiction of such Secretary receive, 
     or have already received, evidence-based training on the 
     recognition and assessment of individuals at risk for suicide 
     and the management of such risk.
       (2) Additional training.--The Secretary concerned shall 
     ensure that providers who receive, or have already received, 
     training described in paragraph (1) receive such additional 
     training thereafter as may be required based on evidence-
     based changes in health care practices.
       (b) Assessment of Mental Health Workforce.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress a report assessing the 
     mental health workforce of the Department of Defense and the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs and the long-term mental 
     health care needs of members of the Armed Forces, veterans, 
     and their dependents for purposes of determining the long-
     term requirements of the Department of Defense and the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs for mental health care 
     providers.
       (2) Elements.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include an assessment of the following:
       (A) The number of mental health care providers of the 
     Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     as of the date of the submittal of the report, disaggregated 
     by specialty, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social 
     workers, mental health counselors, and marriage and family 
     therapists.
       (B) The number of mental health care providers that are 
     anticipated to be needed by the Department of Defense and the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (C) The types of mental health care providers that are 
     anticipated to be needed by the Department of Defense and the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (D) Locations in which mental health care providers are 
     anticipated to be needed by the Department of Defense and the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (c) Plan for Development of Procedures to Measure Mental 
     Health Data.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary concerned shall develop a 
     plan for the development of procedures to compile and assess 
     data relating to the following:
       (A) Outcomes for mental health care provided under the laws 
     administered by such Secretary.
       (B) Variations in such outcomes among different medical 
     facilities under the jurisdiction of such Secretary.
       (C) Barriers, if any, to the implementation by mental 
     health care providers under the jurisdiction of such 
     Secretary of the clinical practice guidelines and other 
     evidence-based treatments and approaches recommended for such 
     providers by such Secretary.
       (2) Submittal of plan.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this

[[Page S3786]]

     Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress each of the plans developed under paragraph (1).
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives
       (2) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
     means the Secretary of Defense with respect to matters 
     concerning the Department of Defense and the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs with respect to matters concerning the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
                                 ______