II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5231 

To provide for a primary prevention research agenda and workforce. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 12, 2022 

Mr. CORNYN (for himself and Ms. SINEMA) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To provide for a primary prevention research agenda and 

workforce. 

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 ‘‘Protecting our 

5 Servicemembers through Proven Methods Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 547. PRIMARY PREVENTION RESEARCH AGENDA AND 

7 WORKFORCE. 

8 (a) ANNUAL PRIMARY PREVENTION RESEARCH

9 AGENDA.—Section 549A(c) of the National Defense Au10 thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117– 

11 81; 135 Stat. 1722) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), and 

2 (4) as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively; 

3 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol4 lowing new paragraphs: 

5 ‘‘(2) include a focus on whether and to what ex6 tent sub-populations of the military community may 

7 be targeted for interpersonal violence more than oth8 ers; 

9 ‘‘(3) seek to identify factors that influence the 

10 prevention, perpetration, and victimization of inter11 personal and self-directed violence; 

12 ‘‘(4) seek to improve the collection and dissemi13 nation of data on hazing and bullying related to 

14 interpersonal and self-directed violence;’’; and 

15 (3) by amending paragraph (6), as redesignated 

16 by paragraph (1) of this section, to read as follows: 

17 ‘‘(6) incorporate collaboration with other Fed18 eral departments and agencies, including the De19 partment of Health and Human Services and the 

20 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, State 

21 governments, academia, industry, federally funded 

22 research and development centers, nonprofit organi23 zations, and other organizations outside of the De24 partment of Defense, including civilian institutions 


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1 that conduct similar data-driven studies, collection, 

2 and analysis; and’’. 

3 (b) PRIMARY PREVENTION WORKFORCE.—Section 

4 549B of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fis5 cal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81; 135 Stat. 1722) is 

6 amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (c)— 

8 (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘sub9 section (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; and 

10 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

11 paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(3) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT.—Not 

13 later than one year after the date of the enactment 

14 of this paragraph, the Comptroller General of the 

15 United States shall submit to the congressional de16 fense committees a report that— 

17 ‘‘(A) compares the sexual harassment and 

18 prevention training of the Department of De19 fense with similar programs at other depart20 ments and agencies of the Federal Government; 

21 and 

22 ‘‘(B) includes relevant data collected by 

23 colleges and universities and other relevant out24 side entities on hazing and bullying and inter25 personal and self-directed violence.’’; and 


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1 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub2 section: 

3 ‘‘(e) INCORPORATION OF RESEARCH AND FIND4 INGS.—The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the 

5 findings and conclusions from the primary prevention re6 search agenda established under section 549A are regu7 larly incorporated, as appropriate, within the primary pre8 vention workforce established under subsection (a).’’. 

Æ 


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