II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3809 

To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study 

on prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions among members 

of the Armed Forces and their dependents. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 21, 2020 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mr. KAINE) introduced the following bill; 

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

A BILL 

To require the Comptroller General of the United States 

to conduct a study on prenatal and postpartum mental 

health conditions among members of the Armed Forces 

and their dependents. 

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 ‘‘Military Moms’ Mental 

5 Health Assessment Act’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 3809 IS

1 SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY ON PRENATAL 

2 AND POSTPARTUM MENTAL HEALTH CONDI3 TIONS AMONG MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

4 FORCES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find6 ings: 

7 (1) In 2018, 52,535 members of the Armed 

8 Forces and their dependents gave birth at military 

9 medical treatment facilities or civilian hospitals 

10 where the Department of Defense purchased care. 

11 (2) Members of the Armed Forces and military 

12 spouses often give birth alone due to deployments or 

13 training exercises that prevent their birthing partner 

14 from being present during childbirth. 

15 (3) Members of the military community are 

16 sometimes uniquely isolated from their support net17 works due to frequent permanent changes of station 

18 or during deployments. 

19 (4) Social isolation and frequent moves can im20 pact mental health outcomes of pregnant members 

21 of the Armed Forces or military spouses, while also 

22 interrupting the continuity of mental health care or 

23 other medical care. 

24 (5) Some studies have concluded that women 

25 with deployed spouses show high stress levels and in26 creased risk for prenatal and postpartum mood disVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:38 Jun 14, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3809.IS S3809

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 3809 IS

1 orders, including depression, which may explain ad2 verse birth outcomes. 

3 (6) According to the American College of Ob4 stetricians and Gynecologists, deployment status is 

5 strongly associated with an increased risk of depres6 sion during pregnancy and the postpartum period. 

7 (7) The Department of Defense determined 

8 that pregnant members of the Armed Forces and 

9 veterans more commonly experience mental health 

10 issues than nonpregnant members of the Armed 

11 Forces and veterans and pregnant women in the 

12 general population. 

13 (8) Some studies have indicated that minority 

14 women in the civilian community are more likely to 

15 experience prenatal and postpartum mood disorders, 

16 but that minority women are less likely to seek or 

17 receive treatment, and there are troubling racial and 

18 ethnic disparities in the initiation and continuation 

19 of prenatal and postpartum mental health care. 

20 (9) Despite some studies regarding prenatal 

21 care, postpartum health, and social support during 

22 pregnancy and child birth among the military com23 munity, those studies have been limited in scope, 

24 and there is little research related to prenatal and 

25 postpartum mental health conditions and mental 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 3809 IS

1 health care among military spouses and active duty 

2 members of the Armed Forces to support policy re3 forms. 

4 (10) Members of the Armed Forces and mili5 tary spouses might refrain from seeking mental 

6 health care due to stigma and fear of potential re7 percussions on employment or career progression. 

8 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con9 gress that— 

10 (1) members of the military community, includ11 ing members of the Armed Forces and military 

12 spouses, are vulnerable to prenatal and postpartum 

13 mental health conditions given the unique challenges 

14 those individuals face due to frequent deployments 

15 and permanent changes of station; 

16 (2) additional studies and research regarding 

17 prenatal and postpartum mental health conditions 

18 among members of the Armed Forces and military 

19 spouses are necessary to identify gaps in, and bar20 riers to, mental health care provided to beneficiaries 

21 under the TRICARE program, including an assess22 ment of issues such as stigma, negative career im23 pact, and discrimination or retaliation against mem24 bers of the Armed Forces and military spouses; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 3809 IS

1 (3) additional studies and research are nec2 essary to determine whether minority women in the 

3 Armed Forces and minority military spouses— 

4 (A) experience prenatal and postpartum 

5 mood disorders at a higher rate; 

6 (B) are more likely to experience racial 

7 and ethnic disparities in health care access; or 

8 (C) are less likely to initiate or continue 

9 prenatal or postpartum mental health care; and 

10 (4) more information will enable the Depart11 ment of Defense to better address the prenatal and 

12 postpartum mental health needs of members of the 

13 Armed Forces and military spouses. 

14 (c) STUDY.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 

16 the United States shall conduct a study on prenatal 

17 and postpartum mental health conditions among 

18 members of the Armed Forces and dependents of 

19 such members. 

20 (2) ELEMENTS.—The study required under 

21 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

22 (A) An assessment of the extent to which 

23 beneficiaries under the TRICARE program, in24 cluding members of the Armed Forces and de25 pendents of such members, are diagnosed with 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 3809 IS

1 prenatal or postpartum mental health condi2 tions, including— 

3 (i) prenatal or postpartum depression; 

4 (ii) prenatal or postpartum anxiety 

5 disorder; 

6 (iii) prenatal or postpartum obsessive 

7 compulsive disorder; 

8 (iv) prenatal or postpartum psychosis; 

9 and 

10 (v) other relevant mood disorders. 

11 (B) A demographic assessment of the pop12 ulation included in the study with respect to 

13 race, ethnicity, sex, age, relationship status, 

14 military service, military occupation, and rank, 

15 where applicable. 

16 (C) An assessment of the status of pre17 natal and postpartum mental health care for 

18 beneficiaries under the TRICARE program, in19 cluding those who seek care at military medical 

20 treatment facilities and those who rely on civil21 ian providers. 

22 (D) An assessment of the ease or delay for 

23 beneficiaries under the TRICARE program in 

24 obtaining treatment for prenatal and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 3809 IS

1 postpartum mental health conditions, includ2 ing— 

3 (i) an assessment of wait times for 

4 mental health treatment at each military 

5 medical treatment facility; and 

6 (ii) a description of the reasons such 

7 beneficiaries may cease seeking such treat8 ment. 

9 (E) A comparison of the rates of prenatal 

10 or postpartum mental health conditions within 

11 the military community to such rates in the ci12 vilian population, as reported by the Centers for 

13 Disease Control and Prevention. 

14 (F) An assessment of any effects of im15 plicit or explicit bias in prenatal and 

16 postpartum mental health care under the 

17 TRICARE program, or evidence of racial or so18 cioeconomic barriers to such care. 

19 (3) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 

20 date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 

21 General shall submit to the congressional defense 

22 committees a report on the findings of the study 

23 conducted under paragraph (1), including— 

24 (A) recommendations for actions to be 

25 taken by the Secretary of Defense to improve 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 3809 IS

1 prenatal and postpartum mental health among 

2 members of the Armed Forces and dependents 

3 of such members; and 

4 (B) such other recommendations as the 

5 Comptroller General determines appropriate. 

6 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

7 (1) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES.— 

8 The term ‘‘congressional defense committees’’ has 

9 the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(16) 

10 of title 10, United States Code. 

11 (2) DEPENDENT; TRICARE PROGRAM.—The 

12 terms ‘‘dependent’’ and ‘‘TRICARE program’’ have 

13 the meanings given those terms in section 1072 of 

14 such title. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS