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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3972 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3972

   To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to more effectively provide mental health resources for members 
of the Armed Forces and veterans at high risk of suicide, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 5, 2015

Mr. Kildee (for himself, Mr. O'Rourke, and Mr. Moulton) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 
and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to 
      be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to more effectively provide mental health resources for members 
of the Armed Forces and veterans at high risk of suicide, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Honoring our Returning Veterans and 
Service Members Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND 
              VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall more effectively provide mental health resources 
for members of the Armed Forces and veterans by jointly developing a 
methodology that identifies which members of the Armed Forces and 
veterans are at high risk of suicide.
    (b) Mental Health Resources.--
            (1) High risk members of the armed forces.--The Secretary 
        of Defense shall use the results under subsection (c) to--
                    (A) identify which units have a disproportionately 
                high rate of suicide and suicide attempts; and
                    (B) provide additional preventative and treatment 
                resources for mental health for members of the Armed 
                Forces who were deployed with the units identified 
                under subparagraph (A).
            (2) High risk veterans.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall use the results under subsection (c) to--
                    (A) identify which units have a disproportionately 
                high rate of suicide and suicide attempts; and
                    (B) provide additional preventative and treatment 
                resources for mental health for veterans who were 
                deployed with the units identified under subparagraph 
                (A).
            (3) Preventative mental health care.--The Secretary of 
        Defense shall use the results under subsection (c) to--
                    (A) identify the circumstances of deployments 
                associated with increased vulnerability to suicide, 
                including the length of deployment, the region and area 
                of deployment, and the nature and extent to which there 
                was contact with enemy forces; and
                    (B) provide additional preventative mental health 
                care to units who currently are, or will be, deployed 
                under circumstances similar to those of subparagraph 
                (A).
    (c) Methodology.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall jointly develop a methodology to assess the 
following:
            (1) Rate of suicide and suicide attempts of members of the 
        armed forces.--The Secretary of Defense shall assess the rate 
        of suicide and suicide attempts of members of the Armed Forces 
        of units that have been deployed in support of a contingency 
        operation after September 11, 2001.
            (2) Rate of suicide and suicide attempts of veterans.--The 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall assess the rate of suicide 
        and suicide attempts of veterans of units that have been 
        deployed in support of a contingency operation after September 
        11, 2001.
    (d) Reports.--On an annual basis, the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Armed 
Services of the Senate, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House 
of Representatives, and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate a report on the activities carried out under this section and 
the effectiveness of such activities.
    (e) Restriction on Use of Information.--Information disclosed or 
obtained pursuant to the provisions of this section may be used by 
officers, employees, and contractors of the Department of Defense and 
the Department of Veterans Affairs only for the purposes of, and to the 
extent necessary in, carrying out this section.
                                 <all>
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