[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 132 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 132
To require a pilot program on activities under the pre-separation
transition process of members of the Armed Forces for a reduction in
suicide among veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 30, 2023
Mr. Brown (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a pilot program on activities under the pre-separation
transition process of members of the Armed Forces for a reduction in
suicide among veterans, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Daniel J. Harvey Jr. and Adam
Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide
Act''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PRE-SEPARATION TRANSITION
PROCESS OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 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 services under subsection (c) as part
of the pre-separation transition process for members of the Armed
Forces as a means of reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans.
(b) Module.--
(1) In general.--The module described in this subsection
shall include the following:
(A) An in-person meeting between a cohort of
members of the Armed Forces participating in the pilot
program and a social worker or nurse in which the
social worker or nurse--
(i) educates the cohort on resources for
and specific potential risks confronting such
members after discharge or release from the
Armed Forces, including--
(I) loss of community or a support
system;
(II) isolation from family,
friends, or society;
(III) identity crisis in the
transition from military to civilian
life;
(IV) vulnerability viewed as a
weakness;
(V) need for empathy;
(VI) self-medication and addiction;
(VII) importance of sleep and
exercise;
(VIII) homelessness;
(IX) risk factors contributing to
attempts of suicide and deaths by
suicide; and
(X) safe storage of firearms as
part of suicide prevention lethal means
safety efforts;
(ii) educates the cohort on--
(I) the signs and symptoms of
suicide risk and physical,
psychological, or neurological issues,
such as post-traumatic stress disorder,
traumatic brain injury, chronic pain,
sleep disorders, substance use
disorders, adverse childhood
experiences, depression, bipolar
disorder, and socio-ecological
concerns, such as homelessness,
unemployment, and relationship strain;
(II) the potential risks for
members of the Armed Forces from such
issues after discharge or release from
the Armed Forces; and
(III) the resources and treatment
options available to such members for
such issues through the Department of
Veterans Affairs, the Department of
Defense, and non-profit organizations;
(iii) educates the cohort about the
resources available to victims of military
sexual trauma through the Department of
Veterans Affairs; and
(iv) educates the cohort about the manner
in which members might experience challenges
during the transition from military to civilian
life, and the resources available to them
through the Department of Veterans Affairs, the
Department of Defense, and other organizations.
(B) The provision to each member of the cohort 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.
(C) The submittal by each member of the cohort 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.
(2) Composition of cohort.--Each cohort participating in
the module described in this subsection shall be comprised of
not fewer than 50 individuals.
(c) Services.--In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide to each
individual participating in the pilot program the following services:
(1) During the transition process and prior to discharge or
release from the Armed Forces, a one-on-one meeting with a
social worker or nurse of the Department of Veterans Affairs
who will--
(A) conduct an assessment of the individual
regarding eligibility to receive health care or
counseling services from the Department of Veterans
Affairs;
(B) for those eligible, or likely to be eligible,
to receive health care or counseling services from the
Department of Veterans Affairs--
(i) identify and provide contact
information for an appropriate facility of the
Department of Veterans Affairs in the locality
in which such individual intends to reside
after discharge or release;
(ii) facilitate registration or enrollment
in the system of patient enrollment of the
Department of Veterans Affairs under section
1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, if
applicable;
(iii) educate the individual about care,
benefits, and services available to the
individual through the Veterans Health
Administration; and
(iv) coordinate health care based on the
health care needs of the individual, if
applicable, to include establishing an initial
appointment, at the election of the individual,
to occur not later than 90 days after the date
of discharge or release of the member from the
Armed Forces.
(2) For each individual determined ineligible for care and
services from the Department of Veterans Affairs during the
transition process, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct an
assessment of the individual to determine the needs of the
individual and appropriate follow-up, which shall be identified
and documented in the appropriate records of the Department of
Defense.
(3) During the appointment scheduled pursuant to paragraph
(1)(B)(iv), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct an
assessment of the individual to determine the needs of the
individual and appropriate follow-up, which shall be identified
and documented in the appropriate records of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(d) Locations.--
(1) Module and meeting.--The module under subsection (b)
and the one-on-one meeting under subsection (c)(1) shall be
carried out at not fewer than 10 locations 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) Assessment and appointment.--The assessment under
subsection (c)(2) and the appointment under subsection (c)(3)
may occur at any location determined appropriate by the
Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as
the case may be.
(3) Members served.--The locations selected under paragraph
(1) shall, to the extent practicable, be locations 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 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 September 30,
2024.
(f) Duration.--The duration of the pilot program shall be five
years.
(g) Reports.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the
commencement of the pilot program, and annually thereafter
during the duration of the pilot program, the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on
the activities under the pilot program.
(2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) The demographic information of the members and
former members of the Armed Forces who participated in
the pilot program during the one-year period ending on
the date of such report.
(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 members
and former members of the Armed Forces.
(D) An assessment of whether the activities under
the pilot program as of the date of such report have
met the targeted outcomes of the pilot program among
members and former 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 the feasibility and
advisability of expansion of the pilot program,
extension of the pilot program, or both.
(h) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
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