[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7129-S7130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3864. Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Ernst, and Mr. 
Blumenthal) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill S. 2792, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title V, add the following:

     SEC. 5__. PILOT PROGRAM ON ACTIVITIES UNDER THE TRANSITION 
                   ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR A REDUCTION IN SUICIDE 
                   AMONG VETERANS.

       (a) Pilot Program Required.--The Secretary of Defense and 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly carry out a 
     pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
     providing the module described in subsection (b) and the 
     services described in subsection (c) as part of the 
     Transition Assistance Program for members of the Armed Forces 
     participating in the Transition Assistance Program as a means 
     of reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans.
       (b) Module.--The module described in this subsection is a 
     three-hour module under the Transition Assistance Program for 
     each member of the Armed Forces participating in the pilot 
     program that includes the following:
       (1) An in-person meeting between the cohort of the member 
     and a social worker or mental health provider in which the 
     social worker or mental health provider--
       (A) counsels the cohort on specific potential risks 
     confronting members after discharge or release from the Armed 
     Forces, including loss of community or a support system, 
     isolation from family, friends, or society, identity crisis 
     in the transition from military to civilian life, 
     vulnerability viewed as a weakness, need for empathy, self-
     medication and addiction, importance of sleep and exercise, 
     homelessness, and reasons why veterans attempt and complete 
     suicide;
       (B) in coordination with the inTransition program of the 
     Department of Defense, counsels members of the cohort who 
     have been diagnosed with physical, psychological, or 
     neurological issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, 
     traumatic brain injury, adverse childhood experiences, 
     depression, and bipolar disorder, on--
       (i) the potential risks for such members from such issues 
     after discharge or release; and
       (ii) the resources and treatment options afforded to 
     members for such issues through the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs, the Department of Defense, and non-profit 
     organizations;
       (C) counsels the cohort about the resources afforded to 
     victims of military sexual trauma through the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs; and
       (D) counsels the cohort about the manner in which members 
     might experience grief during the transition from military to 
     civilian life, and the resources afforded to them for 
     grieving through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (2) In coordination with the Solid Start program of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, the provision to each cohort 
     member of contact information for a counseling or other 
     appropriate facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
     the locality in which such member intends to reside after 
     discharge or release.
       (3) The submittal by cohort members to the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs (including both the Veterans Health 
     Administration and the Veterans Benefits Administration) of 
     their medical records in connection with service in the Armed 
     Forces, whether or not such members intend to file a claim 
     with the Department for benefits with respect to any service-
     connected disability.
       (c) Services.--The services described in this subsection in 
     connection with the Transition Assistance Program for each 
     member of the Armed Forces participating in the pilot program 
     are the following:
       (1) Not later than 90 days after the discharge or release 
     of the member from the Armed Forces, a contact of the member 
     by a social worker or behavioral health coordinator from the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs to schedule a follow-up 
     appointment with a social worker or behavioral health 
     provider at the facility applicable to the member under 
     subsection (b)(2) to occur not later than 90 days after such 
     contact.
       (2) During the appointment scheduled pursuant to paragraph 
     (1)--
       (A) an assessment of the member to determine the 
     experiences of the member with events during service in the 
     Armed Forces that could lead, whether individually or 
     cumulatively, to physical, psychological, or neurological 
     issues, including issues described in subsection (b)(1)(B); 
     and
       (B) the development of a medical treatment plan for the 
     member, including treatment for issues identified pursuant to 
     the assessment under subparagraph (A).
       (d) Locations.--
       (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be carried out at 
     not fewer than 10 Transition Assistance Centers of the 
     Department of Defense that serve not fewer than 300 members 
     of the Armed Forces annually that are jointly selected by the 
     Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     for purposes of the pilot program.
       (2) Members served.--The centers selected under paragraph 
     (1) shall, to the extent practicable, be centers that, 
     whether individually or in aggregate, serve all the Armed 
     Forces and both the regular and reserve components of the 
     Armed Forces.
       (e) Selection and Commencement.--The Secretary of Defense 
     and the Secretary of

[[Page S7130]]

     Veterans Affairs shall jointly select the locations of the 
     pilot program under subsection (d)(1) and commence carrying 
     out activities under the pilot program by not later than 120 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (f) Duration.--
       (1) In general.--The duration of the pilot program shall be 
     five years.
       (2) Continuation.--If the Secretary of Defense and the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs recommend in the report under 
     subsection (g) that the pilot program be extended beyond the 
     date otherwise provided by paragraph (1), the Secretaries may 
     jointly continue the pilot program for such period beyond 
     such date as the Secretaries jointly consider appropriate.
       (g) Reports.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter 
     during the duration of the pilot program, the Secretary of 
     Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 
     submit to Congress a report on the activities under the pilot 
     program.
       (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) A description of the members of the Armed Forces who 
     participated in the pilot program during the 180-day period 
     ending on the date of such report, disaggregated by the 
     following:
       (i) Sex.
       (ii) Branch of the Armed Forces in which served.
       (iii) Diagnosis of, or other symptoms consistent with, 
     military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, 
     traumatic brain injury, depression, or bipolar disorder in 
     connection with service in the Armed Forces.
       (B) A description of the activities under the pilot program 
     during such period.
       (C) An assessment of the benefits of the activities under 
     the pilot program during such period to veterans and family 
     members of veterans.
       (D) An assessment of whether the activities under the pilot 
     program as of the date of such report have reduced the 
     incidence of suicide among members who participated in the 
     pilot program within one year of discharge or release from 
     the Armed Forces.
       (E) Such recommendations as the Secretary of Defense and 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs jointly consider 
     appropriate regarding expansion of the pilot program, 
     extension of the pilot program, or both.
       (h) Transition Assistance Program Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``Transition Assistance Program'' means the 
     program of assistance and other transitional services carried 
     out pursuant to section 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
                                 ______