[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8965]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HOUSE PASSAGE OF MEPS 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, I am proud to say that 
last night, the language that Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio and I 
introduced in March, H.R. 4305, the Medical Evaluation Parity for 
Servicemembers Act, or MEPS Act, was included as an amendment in the 
National Defense Authorization Act. This bipartisan legislation passed 
the full House this morning.
  While our military has made great strides to address issues of mental 
illness, large gaps exist in this response that we must fill. Given 
these challenges and in light of the tragic events such as those at 
Fort Hood, we must and can do more.
  Today, military recruits must undergo comprehensive physical 
evaluations. But what some are surprised or even shocked to hear is 
that currently no similar exam exists for mental competency.
  The MEPS Act institutes a preliminary mental health assessment for 
all incoming recruits. This bill will offer our military an important 
tool and move us to a more comprehensive and effective approach to 
suicide prevention and detection.
  I applaud my colleagues for joining us in support of this bill and 
encourage the Senate to take action on this important reform.

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