Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act of 2013

Summary: Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that, as the United States draws down combat operations in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense (DOD) should continue to seek to assist in the identification of behavior indicating a risk of suicide in members of the Armed Forces (members). Directs the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using an online computerized assessment to assist DOD in detecting behaviors in members that indicate a risk of suicide or other mental health conditions. Requires: (1) 1,000 members of each regular component and 500 members of each reserve and National Guard component to be used in the pilot program, and (2) each participating member to complete two assessments. Requires the first superior officer of each participating member to also complete a computerized assessment on the behavior of that member as it relates to the risk of suicide or other mental health conditions. Requires each member determined under the pilot program to have behavior indicating a risk of suicide or other mental health conditions to be referred to an appropriate mental health care provider for further assessment, care, and services. Directs the Secretary to establish one or more control groups whose behavior permit comparison with the behavior and experiences of the participants. Provides for the privacy of any medical or other information obtained under the pilot program. Prohibits information obtained from being used in determining the promotion or advancement of the member. Excludes the use of participant personally identifiable information in any required report.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Jacob Sexton Military Suicide 
Prevention Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ONLINE COMPUTERIZED ASSESSMENT TO ENHANCE 
              DETECTION OF BEHAVIORS INDICATING A RISK OF SUICIDE AND 
              OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
              FORCES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the 
        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 30,137 
        members of the Armed Forces and veterans have committed suicide 
        since the Department of Defense began closely tracking these 
        incidents in 2009.
            (2) In 2012 alone, approximately 349 members of the Armed 
        Forces, including the National Guard and Reserve, committed 
        suicide, which is more than the total number of members who 
        died in combat operations in 2012. This number does not include 
        the more than 6,000 veterans who committed suicide in 2012.
            (3) During a March 21, 2013, hearing of the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives, Jacqueline 
        Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention 
        Office of the Department of Defense (DPSO), stated that 
        ``[l]ess than half [of the suicide victims] had deployed, and 
        few were involved in combat''. This statement is consistent 
        with current research, which has shown other risk factors, such 
        as relationships, legal or financial issues and alcohol or drug 
        usage play a larger role than a member's deployment history. 
        Garrick also told the Committee that many of these suicidal 
        victims did not communicate their intent, nor did they have 
        known behavioral health histories.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, as the 
United States draws down combat operations in Afghanistan, the 
Department of Defense should continue to seek to identify tools to 
assist in the identification of behavior indicating a risk suicide in 
members of the Armed Forces.
    (c) Pilot Program Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry 
out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using 
an online computerized assessment to assist the Department of Defense 
in detecting behaviors in members of the Armed Force that indicate a 
risk of suicide or other mental health conditions.
    (d) Participating Members.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
program using the following, as selected by the Secretary at random for 
purposes of the pilot program:
            (1) 1,000 members of the regular component of the Army.
            (2) 1,000 members of the regular component of the Navy.
            (3) 1,000 members of the regular component of the Air 
        Force.
            (4) 1,000 members of the regular component of the Marine 
        Corps.
            (5) 500 members of the Army Reserve.
            (6) 500 members of the Army National Guard of the United 
        States.
            (7) 500 members of the Navy Reserve.
            (8) 500 members of the Air Force Reserve.
            (9) 500 members of the Air National Guard of the United 
        States.
            (10) 500 members of Marine Corps Reserve.
    (e) Online Computerized Assessments.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the pilot program, the 
        Secretary shall require each member of the Armed Forces 
        selected to participate in the pilot program to undertake two 
        online computerized assessments.
            (2) Elements.--The assessments under this subsection shall 
        be designed to obtain such information on behaviors that 
        indicate a risk of suicide or other mental health conditions as 
        the Secretary shall include in the assessments for purposes of 
        the pilot program, including, but not limited to, work 
        performance, use and abuse of alcohol and other substances, 
        financial matters, and relationship and social matters.
            (3) Timing.--The assessments under this subsection shall be 
        undertaken by a member at the same time the member undertakes 
        each of the first two annual periodic health assessments (PHAs) 
        in connection with service in the Armed Forces that are 
        required of the member by the Department after the selection of 
        the member for participation in the pilot program.
    (f) Command Questionnaires.--
            (1) In general.--At the same time a member of the Armed 
        Forces undertakes an online computerized assessment under 
        subsection (e), the member of the Armed Forces first superior 
        to such member in the chain of command shall undertake a 
        questionnaire on the behavior of such member, including, but 
        not limited to, behavior that indicates a risk of suicide or 
        other mental health conditions.
            (2) Elements.--The questionnaires under this subsection 
        shall be designed to obtain information on the members covered 
        by the questionnaires so as to verify the accuracy of the 
        information provided by such members in undertaking assessments 
        under subsection (e).
    (g) Referral.--As part of pilot program, the Secretary shall ensure 
that any member of the Armed Forces determined to have behavior 
indicating a risk of suicide or another mental health condition is 
referred to an appropriate mental health care provider for further 
assessment, care, and services in accordance with applicable 
procedures.
    (h) Control Groups.--In carrying out the pilot program, the 
Secretary shall establish one or more control groups whose behavior and 
experiences during the course of the pilot program permit comparison 
with the behavior and experiences of members participating in the pilot 
program. Each control group shall consist of such members of the Armed 
Forces as the Secretary shall identify for purposes of the pilot 
program.
    (i) Privacy Matters.--
            (1) In general.--The privacy of any medical or other 
        information obtained on members of the Armed Forces under this 
        section shall be protected in accordance with the laws on 
        privacy applicable to such information.
            (2) Prohibition on certain uses.--No information obtained 
        on a member under this section may be used in determining the 
        promotion or advancement of the member or any other benefit for 
        which the member may be eligible.
            (3) Exclusion of personally identifiable information from 
        reports.--No personally identifiable information on members may 
        be included in any report under subsection (j).
    (j) Report.--
            (1) Report required.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date on which all the members of the Armed Forces participating 
        in the pilot program have completed both of the online 
        computerized assessments required by subsection (e) for 
        purposes of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to 
        the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the pilot 
        program.
            (2) Elements.--The report under paragraph (1) shall include 
        the following:
                    (A) A description of the pilot program, including a 
                detailed description of the assessments used for 
                purposes of subsection (e) and the questionnaires used 
                for purposes of subsection (f).
                    (B) A summary of the various behaviors detected 
                through the assessments and questionnaires.
                    (C) A description of the number of members 
                identified as being at risk of suicide or other mental 
                health conditions, and an assessment of the correlation 
                between the risks identified and the various behaviors 
                detected.
                    (D) If care and services were provided to members 
                pursuant to subsection (g), a description of such care 
                and services and an assessment of the effectiveness of 
                such care and services.
                    (E) A description of the number of members 
                participating in the pilot program who committed 
                suicide.
                    (F) A description of the control groups established 
                pursuant to subsection (h), and a comparative analysis 
                of the behavior and experiences of members of such 
                control groups during the pilot program with the 
                behavior and experiences of members participating in 
                the pilot program, including on matters relating to 
                suicidal ideations, suicides attempted, and suicides 
                committed.
                    (G) A comparative analysis of the rate of suicide 
                among members participating in the pilot program, 
                members of the control groups established pursuant to 
                subsection (h), and the general population of each of 
                the Armed Forces.
                    (H) Such recommendations for extension or expansion 
                of the pilot program as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate in light of the pilot program, including 
                recommendations on the feasibility and advisability of 
                incorporating the online computerized assessments under 
                the pilot program in the online questionnaire of the 
                annual periodic health assessments (PHA) in connection 
                with service in the Armed Forces that are required by 
                the Department.
    (k) 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.