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116TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 4992
To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program on suicide
prevention in the military health care system.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
Ms. GABBARD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot
program on suicide prevention in the military health
care system.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Recovery Engagement
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And Coordination for Health–Military Innovations for
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Life Act’’ or the ‘‘REACH MIL Act’’.
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON SUICIDE PREVENTION IN MILI-
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TARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
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(a) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Defense, in
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collaboration with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall
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•HR 4992 IH
carry out a pilot program on suicide prevention in the mili-
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tary health care system. Such program shall be similar
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to the REACH VET predictive analysis pilot program car-
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ried out by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
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(b) PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS PROCESS.—
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(1) PRE-EMPTIVE CARE.—In carrying out the
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pilot program, the Secretary of Defense shall ana-
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lyze existing data from health records of members of
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the Armed Force serving on active duty to identify
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the members who are at a statistically elevated risk
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for suicide, hospitalization, illness, or other adverse
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outcomes, in order to provide pre-emptive care and
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support for such members before such members have
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or express suicidal thoughts to clinicians.
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(2) PROCESS.—The Secretary shall ensure that
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the predictive analytics process developed pursuant
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to paragraph (1)—
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(A) identifies members of the Armed
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Forces serving on active duty who are at high
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statistical risk for suicide;
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(B) flags the records of the members; and
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(C) requires health care providers of the
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military health care system to contact such
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members to initiate a care plan.
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(c) INFORMATION SHARING.—The Secretary of De-
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fense shall provide information under the pilot program
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under subsection (a) with the Secretary of Veterans Af-
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fairs to ensure that a member of the Armed Forces serving
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on active duty who transitions from the military health
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care system to the health care system of the Department
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of Veterans Affairs is able to schedule appropriate follow-
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up mental health care appointments with the Department
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of Veterans Affairs.
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Æ
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