A bill to provide for a comprehensive national research effort on the physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of the members of the Armed Forces and veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and their families.

Summary: Homecoming Enhancement Research and Oversight (HERO) Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study of the physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of members and former members of the Armed Forces who deployed in Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, and their families. Requires: (1) reports, from the Academy to the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs and from the Secretary to Congress, on such study; (2) the public availability of the reports; (3) such Secretaries to develop a joint plan to address report findings; and (4) the public availability of the Secretaries' response.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Homecoming Enhancement Research and 
Oversight (HERO) Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER READJUSTMENT 
              NEEDS OF MEMBERS AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
              WHO DEPLOYED IN OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION 
              ENDURING FREEDOM AND THEIR FAMILIES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The order on April 11, 2007 to extend the tour of duty 
        for members of the Army on active duty in Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to 15 months is placing 
        additional strains on the wellness of members of the Armed 
        Forces and their families back home.
            (2) 20,000 United States troops have been deployed at least 
        5 times since the war effort began. 70,000 have been deployed 
        at 3 least times.
            (3) Sixty percent of deployed members of the Armed Forces 
        have family responsibilities.
            (4) More than 500,000 children have one or more parents 
        deployed in support of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) at any 
        given time.
            (5) It is estimated that more than 2,700 children in the 
        United States have lost a parent in Operation Iraqi Freedom or 
        Operation Enduring Freedom.
            (6) Women now comprise 16 percent of the all voluntary 
        military force, yet there is a lack of research on the 
        psychological needs and readjustment concerns of female 
        military personnel.
            (7) Members of the Armed Forces who have screened positive 
        for a mental health disorder were twice as likely as members 
        who have screened negative for a mental health disorder to 
        report concern about possible stigmatization and other barriers 
        to accessing care. Among members of the Armed Forces who 
        screened positive for a mental health disorder, only between 23 
        percent and 40 percent have sought care.
            (8) As many as one quarter of all members of the Armed 
        Forces returning from a combat zone have less visible 
        psychological injuries.
            (9) On average, more than 20 percent of wounded members of 
        the Armed Forces have a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
            (10) More than a decade passed between the end of the 
        conflict in Vietnam and the publication by the Federal 
        Government of its landmark study on the readjustment needs of 
        veterans of that conflict. The impacts of the wars in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan on members of the Armed Forces, former members of 
        the Armed Forces, and their families must be rigorously 
        researched and addressed without a wait of 10 years.
    (b) Study Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, enter into an 
agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study on the 
physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of members and 
former members of the Armed Forces who deployed in Operation Iraqi 
Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and their families as a result of 
such deployment.
    (c) Phases.--The study required under subsection (b) shall consist 
of two phases:
            (1) A preliminary phase, to be completed not later than 180 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act--
                    (A) to identify preliminary findings on the 
                physical and mental health and other readjustment needs 
                described in subsection (b) and on gaps in care for the 
                members, former members, and families described in that 
                subsection; and
                    (B) to determine the parameters of the second phase 
                of the study under paragraph (2).
            (2) A second phase, to be completed not later than three 
        years after the date of the enactment of this Act, to carry out 
        a comprehensive assessment, in accordance with the parameters 
        identified under the preliminary report required by paragraph 
        (1), of the physical and mental health and other readjustment 
        needs of members and former members of the Armed Forces who 
        deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
        Freedom and their families as a result of such deployment, 
        including, at a minimum--
                    (A) an assessment of the psychological, social, and 
                economic impacts of such deployment on such members and 
                former members and their families;
                    (B) an assessment of the particular impacts of 
                multiple deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom or 
                Operation Enduring Freedom on such members and former 
                members and their families;
                    (C) an assessment of the full scope of the 
                neurological, psychiatric, and psychological effects of 
                Traumatic Brain Injury on members and former members of 
                the Armed Forces, including the effects of such effects 
                on the family members of such members and former 
                members, and an assessment of the efficacy of current 
                treatment approaches for Traumatic Brain Injury in the 
                United States and the efficacy of screenings and 
                treatment approaches for Traumatic Brain Injury within 
                the Department of Defense and the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs;
                    (D) an assessment of the effects of undiagnosed 
                injuries such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 
                and Traumatic Brain Injury, and an estimate of the 
                long-term costs associated with such injuries;
                    (E) an assessment of the particular needs and 
                concerns of female members of the Armed Forces and 
                female veterans;
                    (F) an assessment of the particular needs and 
                concerns of minority members of the Armed Forces and 
                minority veterans;
                    (G) an assessment of the particular educational and 
                vocational needs of such members and former members and 
                their families;
                    (H) the development, based on such assessments, of 
                recommendations for programs, treatments, or policy 
                remedies targeted at preventing, minimizing or 
                addressing the impacts, gaps and needs identified; and
                    (I) the development, based on such assessments, of 
                recommendations for additional research on such needs.
    (d) Populations To Be Studied.--The study required under subsection 
(b) shall consider the readjustment needs of each population of 
individuals as follows:
            (1) Members of the regular components of the Armed Forces 
        who are returning, or have returned, to the United States from 
        deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
        Freedom.
            (2) Members of the National Guard and Reserve who are 
        returning, or have returned, to the United States from 
        deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
        Freedom.
            (3) Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation 
        Enduring Freedom.
            (4) Family members of the members and veterans described in 
        paragraphs (1) through (3).
    (e) Access to Information.--The National Academy of Sciences shall 
have access to such personnel, information, records, and systems of the 
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs as the 
National Academy of Sciences requires in order to carry out the study 
required under subsection (b).
    (f) Privacy of Information.--The National Academy of Sciences shall 
maintain any personally identifiable information accessed by the 
Academy in carrying out the study required under subsection (b) in 
accordance with all applicable laws, protections, and best practices 
regarding the privacy of such information, and may not permit access to 
such information by any persons or entities not engaged in work under 
the study.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) Reports by national academy of sciences.--Upon the 
        completion of each phase of the study required under subsection 
        (b), the National Academy of Sciences shall submit to the 
        Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs a 
        report on such phase of the study.
            (2) Reports by secretary of defense.--The Secretary of 
        Defense shall submit to Congress a comprehensive report on each 
        phase of the study required under subsection (b) not later than 
        30 days after the date of the completion of such phase of the 
        study. Each report shall set forth the report of the National 
        Academy of Sciences on the phase of the study concerned under 
        paragraph (1) and include such other information as the 
        Secretary considers appropriate.
            (3) Public availability of reports.--The Secretary of 
        Defense shall make available to the public each report 
        submitted to Congress under paragraph (2), including by posting 
        an electronic copy of such report on the Internet website of 
        the Department of Defense that is available to the public.
    (h) DoD and VA Response to NAS Reports.--
            (1) Preliminary response.--Not later than 45 days after the 
        receipt of a report under subsection (g)(1) on each phase of 
        the study required under subsection (b), the Secretary of 
        Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 
        develop a preliminary joint Department of Defense-Department of 
        Veterans Affairs plan to address the findings and 
        recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences contained 
        in such report. The preliminary plan shall provide preliminary 
        proposals on the matters set forth in paragraph (3).
            (2) Final response.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        receipt of a report under subsection (g)(1) on each phase of 
        the study required under subsection (b), the Secretary of 
        Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 
        develop a final joint Department of Defense-Department of 
        Veterans Affairs plan to address the findings and 
        recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences contained 
        in such report. The final plan shall provide final proposals on 
        the matters set forth in paragraph (3).
            (3) Covered matters.--The matters set forth in this 
        paragraph with respect to a phase of the study required under 
        subsection (b) are as follows:
                    (A) Modifications of policy or practice within the 
                Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans 
                Affairs that are necessary to address gaps in care or 
                services as identified by the National Academy of 
                Sciences under such phase of the study.
                    (B) Modifications of policy or practice within the 
                Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans 
                Affairs that are necessary to address recommendations 
                made by the National Academy of Sciences under such 
                phase of the study.
                    (C) An estimate of the costs of implementing the 
                modifications set forth under subparagraphs (A) and 
                (B), set forth by fiscal year for at least the first 
                five fiscal years beginning after the date of the plan 
                concerned.
            (4) Reports on responses.--The Secretary of Defense and the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress 
        a report setting forth each joint plan developed under 
        paragraphs (1) and (2).
            (5) Public availability of responses.--The Secretary of 
        Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall each make 
        available to the public each report submitted to Congress under 
        paragraph (4), including by posting an electronic copy of such 
        report on the Internet website of the Department of Defense or 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs, as applicable, that is 
        available to the public.
            (6) GAO audit.--Not later than 45 days after the submittal 
        to Congress of the report under paragraph (4) on the final 
        joint Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan 
        under paragraph (2), the Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall submit to Congress a report assessing the contents 
        of such report under paragraph (4). The report of the 
        Comptroller General under this paragraph shall include--
                    (A) an assessment of the adequacy and sufficiency 
                of the final joint Department of Defense-Department of 
                Veterans Affairs plan in addressing the findings and 
                recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences as 
                a result of the study required under subsection (b);
                    (B) an assessment of the feasibility and 
                advisability of the modifications of policy and 
                practice proposed in the final joint Department of 
                Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan;
                    (C) an assessment of the sufficiency and accuracy 
                of the cost estimates in the final joint Department of 
                Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan; and
                    (D) the comments, if any, of the National Academy 
                of Sciences on the final joint Department of Defense-
                Department of Veterans Affairs plan.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to 
be appropriated to the Department of Defense such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section.