I 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Honoring our Return5 ing Veterans and Service Members Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR MEMBERS OF 

2 THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense and the 

4 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall more effectively pro5 vide mental health resources for members of the Armed 

6 Forces and veterans by jointly developing a methodology 

7 that identifies which members of the Armed Forces and 

8 veterans are at high risk of suicide. 

9 (b) MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES.— 

10 (1) HIGH RISK MEMBERS OF THE ARMED

11 FORCES.—The Secretary of Defense shall use the re12 sults under subsection (c) to— 

13 (A) identify which units have a dispropor14 tionately high rate of suicide and suicide at15 tempts; and 

16 (B) provide additional preventative and 

17 treatment resources for mental health for mem18 bers of the Armed Forces who were deployed 

19 with the units identified under subparagraph 

20 (A). 

21 (2) HIGH RISK VETERANS.—The Secretary of 

22 Veterans Affairs shall use the results under sub23 section (c) to— 

24 (A) identify which units have a dispropor25 tionately high rate of suicide and suicide at26 tempts; and 


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1 (B) provide additional preventative and 

2 treatment resources for mental health for vet3 erans who were deployed with the units identi4 fied under subparagraph (A). 

5 (3) PREVENTATIVE MENTAL HEALTH CARE.— 

6 The Secretary of Defense shall use the results under 

7 subsection (c) to— 

8 (A) identify the circumstances of deploy9 ments associated with increased vulnerability to 

10 suicide, including the length of deployment, the 

11 region and area of deployment, and the nature 

12 and extent to which there was contact with 

13 enemy forces; and 

14 (B) provide additional preventative mental 

15 health care to units who currently are, or will 

16 be, deployed under circumstances similar to 

17 those of subparagraph (A). 

18 (c) METHODOLOGY.—Not later than 6 months after 

19 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

20 Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 

21 develop a methodology to assess the following: 

22 (1) RATE OF SUICIDE AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS

23 OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.—The Sec24 retary of Defense shall assess the rate of suicide and 

25 suicide attempts of members of the Armed Forces of 


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1 units that have been deployed in support of a contin2 gency operation after September 11, 2001. 

3 (2) RATE OF SUICIDE AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS

4 OF VETERANS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

5 shall assess the rate of suicide and suicide attempts 

6 of veterans of units that have been deployed in sup7 port of a contingency operation after September 11, 

8 2001. 

9 (d) REPORTS.—On an annual basis, the Secretary of 

10 Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 

11 submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the House 

12 of Representatives, the Committee on Armed Services of 

13 the Senate, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

14 House of Representatives, and the Committee on Vet15 erans’ Affairs of the Senate a report on the activities car16 ried out under this section and the effectiveness of such 

17 activities. 

18 (e) RESTRICTION ON USE OF INFORMATION.—Infor19 mation disclosed or obtained pursuant to the provisions 

20 of this section may be used by officers, employees, and 

21 contractors of the Department of Defense and the Depart22 ment of Veterans Affairs only for the purposes of, and 

23 to the extent necessary in, carrying out this section. 

Æ 


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