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”.
Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act
AN ACT
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.
Sec. 2 Addressing mental health issues in the Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Defense and the Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs
Transition Assistance Program of the Department of Defense— Section 1142(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
in paragraph (5), by inserting “(11),” before “and (16)”; and
by striking paragraph (11) and inserting the following:
“(11) Information concerning mental health, including—
“(A) the availability of mental health services furnished by the Secretary concerned, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or a non-profit entity;
“(B) the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety disorders, depression, chronic pain, sleep disorders, suicidal ideation, or other mental health conditions associated with service in the armed forces;
“(C) the risk of suicide, including signs, symptoms, and risk factors (including adverse childhood experiences, depression, bipolar disorder, homelessness, unemployment, and relationship strain);
“(D) the availability of treatment options and resources to address substance abuse, including alcohol, prescription drug, and opioid abuse;
“(E) the potential effects of the loss of community and support systems experienced by a member separating from the armed forces;
“(F) isolation from family, friends, or society; and
“(G) the potential stressors associated with separation from the armed forces.”
Solid Start program of the Department of Veterans Affairs— Section 6320(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
by redesignating subparagraphs (G) and (H) as subparagraphs (I) and (J), respectively; and
by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following new subparagraphs:
“(G) assisting eligible veterans who elect to enroll in the system of patient enrollment under section 1705(a) of this title;
“(H) educating veterans about mental health and counseling services available through the Veterans Health Administration;”
Report— 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 congressional committees a report on the information and materials developed pursuant to the amendments made by this Act.
Appropriate congressional committees defined— In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; and
the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives.