What This Bill Does
This bill creates a pilot program for military members preparing to leave the Armed Forces. The program aims to reduce suicide among former service members by providing education, counseling access and medical records submission to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Defense Secretary and Veterans Affairs Secretary will jointly run the program.
Who It Affects
Military members separating from active duty or the reserves; the Department of Defense; the Department of Veterans Affairs; Congress; non-profit organizations that work with veterans.
Key Provisions
• The pilot program must include group education sessions led by a social worker or nurse that teach military members about suicide risks, warning signs, mental health conditions, resources available after discharge and safe firearm storage (Sec. 2(b)).
• Participating military members must provide their military medical records to the Department of Veterans Affairs before discharge, regardless of whether they plan to apply for disability benefits (Sec. 2(b)).
• Each military member gets a one-on-one meeting with a Veterans Affairs social worker or nurse to assess eligibility for healthcare, help with enrollment and schedule a first appointment within 90 days of discharge (Sec. 2(c)).
• The program must operate at no fewer than 10 Department of Defense locations that each serve at least 300 military members annually, selected jointly by both secretaries (Sec. 2(d)).
• Leadership must submit yearly reports to Congress describing who participated, what activities occurred, program benefits and whether suicide reduction goals were met (Sec. 2(g)).
What Changes
If this becomes law, military members preparing to leave the Armed Forces will receive mandatory suicide prevention education and structured healthcare transition services before discharge. They will be required to submit medical records to Veterans Affairs upfront. The two federal departments will establish these services at multiple military locations nationwide.
Important Definitions
None explicitly defined in the bill text.
Effective Date
The Defense Secretary and Veterans Affairs Secretary must select program locations and begin activities by September 30, 2024 (Sec. 2(e)). The pilot program runs for five years (Sec. 2(f)).
II
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-separa-
tion 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 Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Daniel J. Harvey Jr.
4
and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition
5
to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act’’.
6
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2
•S 132 IS
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PRE-
1
SEPARATION TRANSITION PROCESS OF MEM-
2
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES FOR A REDUC-
3
TION IN SUICIDE AMONG VETERANS.
4
(a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary of
5
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly
6
carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and ad-
7
visability of providing the module described in subsection
8
(b) and services under subsection (c) as part of the pre-
9
separation transition process for members of the Armed
10
Forces as a means of reducing the incidence of suicide
11
among veterans.
12
(b) MODULE.—
13
(1) IN GENERAL.—The module described in this
14
subsection shall include the following:
15
(A) An in-person meeting between a cohort
16
of members of the Armed Forces participating
17
in the pilot program and a social worker or
18
nurse in which the social worker or nurse—
19
(i) educates the cohort on resources
20
for and specific potential risks confronting
21
such members after discharge or release
22
from the Armed Forces, including—
23
(I) loss of community or a sup-
24
port system;
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3
•S 132 IS
(II)
isolation
from
family,
1
friends, or society;
2
(III) identity crisis in the transi-
3
tion from military to civilian life;
4
(IV) vulnerability viewed as a
5
weakness;
6
(V) need for empathy;
7
(VI) self-medication and addic-
8
tion;
9
(VII) importance of sleep and ex-
10
ercise;
11
(VIII) homelessness;
12
(IX) risk factors contributing to
13
attempts of suicide and deaths by sui-
14
cide; and
15
(X) safe storage of firearms as
16
part of suicide prevention lethal
17
means safety efforts;
18
(ii) educates the cohort on—
19
(I) the signs and symptoms of
20
suicide risk and physical, psycho-
21
logical, or neurological issues, such as
22
post-traumatic stress disorder, trau-
23
matic brain injury, chronic pain, sleep
24
disorders, substance use disorders, ad-
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4
•S 132 IS
verse childhood experiences, depres-
1
sion, bipolar disorder, and socio-eco-
2
logical concerns, such as homeless-
3
ness, unemployment, and relationship
4
strain;
5
(II) the potential risks for mem-
6
bers of the Armed Forces from such
7
issues after discharge or release from
8
the Armed Forces; and
9
(III) the resources and treatment
10
options available to such members for
11
such issues through the Department
12
of Veterans Affairs, the Department
13
of Defense, and non-profit organiza-
14
tions;
15
(iii) educates the cohort about the re-
16
sources available to victims of military sex-
17
ual trauma through the Department of
18
Veterans Affairs; and
19
(iv) educates the cohort about the
20
manner in which members might experi-
21
ence challenges during the transition from
22
military to civilian life, and the resources
23
available to them through the Department
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5
•S 132 IS
of Veterans Affairs, the Department of De-
1
fense, and other organizations.
2
(B) The provision to each member of the
3
cohort of contact information for a counseling
4
or other appropriate facility of the Department
5
of Veterans Affairs in the locality in which such
6
member intends to reside after discharge or re-
7
lease.
8
(C) The submittal by each member of the
9
cohort to the Department of Veterans Affairs
10
(including both the Veterans Health Adminis-
11
tration and the Veterans Benefits Administra-
12
tion) of their medical records in connection with
13
service in the Armed Forces, whether or not
14
such members intend to file a claim with the
15
Department for benefits with respect to any
16
service-connected disability.
17
(2) COMPOSITION
OF
COHORT.—Each cohort
18
participating in the module described in this sub-
19
section shall be comprised of not fewer than 50 indi-
20
viduals.
21
(c) SERVICES.—In carrying out the pilot program,
22
the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
23
Affairs shall provide to each individual participating in the
24
pilot program the following services:
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6
•S 132 IS
(1) During the transition process and prior to
1
discharge or release from the Armed Forces, a one-
2
on-one meeting with a social worker or nurse of the
3
Department of Veterans Affairs who will—
4
(A) conduct an assessment of the indi-
5
vidual regarding eligibility to receive health care
6
or counseling services from the Department of
7
Veterans Affairs;
8
(B) for those eligible, or likely to be eligi-
9
ble, to receive health care or counseling services
10
from the Department of Veterans Affairs—
11
(i) identify and provide contact infor-
12
mation for an appropriate facility of the
13
Department of Veterans Affairs in the lo-
14
cality in which such individual intends to
15
reside after discharge or release;
16
(ii) facilitate registration or enroll-
17
ment in the system of patient enrollment
18
of the Department of Veterans Affairs
19
under section 1705(a) of title 38, United
20
States Code, if applicable;
21
(iii) educate the individual about care,
22
benefits, and services available to the indi-
23
vidual through the Veterans Health Ad-
24
ministration; and
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
7
•S 132 IS
(iv) coordinate health care based on
1
the health care needs of the individual, if
2
applicable, to include establishing an initial
3
appointment, at the election of the indi-
4
vidual, to occur not later than 90 days
5
after the date of discharge or release of the
6
member from the Armed Forces.
7
(2) For each individual determined ineligible for
8
care and services from the Department of Veterans
9
Affairs during the transition process, the Secretary
10
of Defense shall conduct an assessment of the indi-
11
vidual to determine the needs of the individual and
12
appropriate follow-up, which shall be identified and
13
documented in the appropriate records of the De-
14
partment of Defense.
15
(3) During the appointment scheduled pursuant
16
to paragraph (1)(B)(iv), the Secretary of Veterans
17
Affairs shall conduct an assessment of the individual
18
to determine the needs of the individual and appro-
19
priate follow-up, which shall be identified and docu-
20
mented in the appropriate records of the Depart-
21
ment of Veterans Affairs.
22
(d) LOCATIONS.—
23
(1) MODULE
AND
MEETING.—The module
24
under subsection (b) and the one-on-one meeting
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
8
•S 132 IS
under subsection (c)(1) shall be carried out at not
1
fewer than 10 locations of the Department of De-
2
fense that serve not fewer than 300 members of the
3
Armed Forces annually that are jointly selected by
4
the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Vet-
5
erans Affairs for purposes of the pilot program.
6
(2) ASSESSMENT AND APPOINTMENT.—The as-
7
sessment under subsection (c)(2) and the appoint-
8
ment under subsection (c)(3) may occur at any loca-
9
tion determined appropriate by the Secretary of De-
10
fense or the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as the
11
case may be.
12
(3) MEMBERS SERVED.—The locations selected
13
under paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable,
14
be locations that, whether individually or in aggre-
15
gate, serve all the Armed Forces and both the reg-
16
ular and reserve components of the Armed Forces.
17
(e) SELECTION
AND COMMENCEMENT.—The Sec-
18
retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
19
shall jointly select the locations of the pilot program under
20
subsection (d)(1) and commence carrying out activities
21
under the pilot program by not later than September 30,
22
2024.
23
(f) DURATION.—The duration of the pilot program
24
shall be five years.
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
9
•S 132 IS
(g) REPORTS.—
1
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year
2
after the commencement of the pilot program, and
3
annually thereafter during the duration of the pilot
4
program, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary
5
of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the appro-
6
priate committees of Congress a report on the activi-
7
ties under the pilot program.
8
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each report required by para-
9
graph (1) shall include the following:
10
(A) The demographic information of the
11
members and former members of the Armed
12
Forces who participated in the pilot program
13
during the one-year period ending on the date
14
of such report.
15
(B) A description of the activities under
16
the pilot program during such period.
17
(C) An assessment of the benefits of the
18
activities under the pilot program during such
19
period to members and former members of the
20
Armed Forces.
21
(D) An assessment of whether the activi-
22
ties under the pilot program as of the date of
23
such report have met the targeted outcomes of
24
the pilot program among members and former
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
10
•S 132 IS
members who participated in the pilot program
1
within one year of discharge or release from the
2
Armed Forces.
3
(E) Such recommendations as the Sec-
4
retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
5
Affairs jointly consider appropriate regarding
6
the feasibility and advisability of expansion of
7
the pilot program, extension of the pilot pro-
8
gram, or both.
9
(h) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE-
10
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate commit-
11
tees of Congress’’ means—
12
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the
13
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; and
14
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the
15
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of
16
Representatives.
17
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
06:14 Feb 06, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\S132.IS
S132
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS