[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5225-S5226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2952. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by her to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 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 appropriate place in title VII, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. 7___. 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.

[[Page S5226]]

       (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.
       (h) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Dependent.--The term ``dependent'' has the meaning 
     given that term in section 1072 of title 10, United States 
     Code.
       (2) 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.
       (3) 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.
       (4) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the 
     pilot program established under section 2(a).
       (5) 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.
       (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Defense.
                                 ______