II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 902 

To provide support and assistance for families of members of the National 

Guard and Reserve who are undergoing deployment, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 15, 2007 

Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. KERRY, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. 

ROCKEFELLER, Ms. LANDRIEU, and Ms. CANTWELL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services 

A BILL 

To provide support and assistance for families of members 

of the National Guard and Reserve who are undergoing 

deployment, 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 ‘‘Coming Together for 

5 National Guard and Reserve Families Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) More than 700,000 children have had a 

9 parent deployed overseas as a member of the Armed 


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1 Forces since September 11, 2001, and more than 

2 such 2,700 children have had a parent killed in Iraq 

3 or Afghanistan. 

4 (2) Forty-one percent of the members of the 

5 National Guard and Reserve who have been deployed 

6 overseas report mental health symptoms within three 

7 to six months of returning home from deployment, 

8 compared with 32 percent of the members of the 

9 regular military who have been so deployed. Fifteen 

10 percent of the members of the National Guard and 

11 Reserve have been identified as at risk for post trau12 matic stress disorder (PTSD), compared with 9 per13 cent of the members of the regular military. Re14 search suggests that increased stress in the family 

15 can trigger symptoms of post traumatic stress dis16 order. 

17 (3) Military families face significant challenges 

18 throughout the deployment cycle of members of the 

19 Armed Forces. Families of members of the National 

20 Guard and Reserve are particularly vulnerable be21 cause of their distance from military bases and their 

22 lack of access to the services upon which military 

23 families typically draw. In addition, many families of 

24 members of the National Guard and Reserve are 

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1 ments, and do not have the necessary support avail2 able to them. 

3 (4) Uncertainty and separation can create high 

4 levels of stress for parents, spouses, and children. 

5 Stress can put children at greater risk for behavioral 

6 problems, academic difficulties, anxiety, and depres7 sion. Family separations many times result in mar8 ital problems, financial difficulties, and stress on 

9 family relationships. 

10 (5) Research suggests that military families 

11 who receive community and social support while 

12 members of the National Guard and Reserve are un13 dergoing deployment have the most positive out14 comes. Supporting families and children affected by 

15 deployment can ease transitional stress, help mem16 bers of the National Guard and Reserve and their 

17 families cope during and after deployment, prevent 

18 mental health problems, and assist in a smooth tran19 sition of members of the National Guard and Re20 serve back to civilian life. 

21 SEC. 3. FAMILY SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES OF MEMBERS OF 

22 THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE UN23 DERGOING DEPLOYMENT. 

24 (a) FAMILY SUPPORT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 

2 shall enhance and improve current programs of the 

3 Department of Defense to provide family support for 

4 families of members of the National Guard and Re5 serve in order to improve the assistance available for 

6 families of members of the National Guard and Re7 serve who are deployed throughout their deployment 

8 cycle. 

9 (2) SPECIFIC ENHANCEMENTS.—In enhancing 

10 and improving programs under paragraph (1), the 

11 Secretary shall enhance and improve the availability 

12 of the following: 

13 (A) Support staff to assist families of the 

14 members of the National Guard and Reserve 

15 who are deployed throughout their deployment 

16 cycle, including staff to assist such families 

17 in— 

18 (i) preparing and updating family care 

19 plans; and 

20 (ii) securing information on health 

21 care benefits and services and on other 

22 community resources. 

23 (B) Support staff to provide referrals for 

24 such families for— 

25 (i) crisis services; and 


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1 (ii) marriage counseling and family 

2 counseling. 

3 (b) POST-DEPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR SPOUSES

4 AND PARENTS OF RETURNING MEMBERS.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 

6 shall provide spouses and parents of members of the 

7 National Guard and Reserve who are returning from 

8 deployment assistance in— 

9 (A) understanding issues that arise in the 

10 readjustment of such members to civilian life; 

11 (B) identifying signs and symptoms of 

12 mental health issues; and 

13 (C) encouraging such members and their 

14 families in seeking assistance for such issues. 

15 (2) INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE RE16 SOURCES.—In providing assistance under paragraph 

17 (1), the Secretary shall provide information on local 

18 resources for mental health services, family coun19 seling services, or other appropriate services, includ20 ing services available from both military providers of 

21 such services and community-base providers of such 

22 services. 

23 (3) TIMING.—The Secretary shall provide re24 sources under paragraph (1) with respect to a mem25 ber of the National Guard or Reserve returning from 


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1 deployment approximately six months after the date 

2 of the return of such member from deployment. 

3 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

4 hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Department 

5 of Defense for fiscal year 2008, $4,000,000 to carry out 

6 this section. 

7 SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM ON FAMILY-TO-FAMILY SUPPORT 

8 FOR FAMILIES OF MEMBERS OF THE NA9 TIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE UNDERGOING 

10 DEPLOYMENT. 

11 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 

13 shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 

14 and Human Services, carry out a pilot program to— 

15 (A) assess the effectiveness of family-to16 family support programs in— 

17 (i) the early identification and preven18 tion of family problems for families of 

19 members of the National Guard and Re20 serve who are deployed; 

21 (ii) the provision of peer support for 

22 such families; 

23 (iii) reducing adverse outcomes for 

24 children of such families, including poor 

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1 lems, and the adverse consequence of 

2 stress and anxiety; and 

3 (iv) improving family readiness and 

4 post-deployment transition for such fami5 lies; and 

6 (B) assess the feasability and advisability 

7 of utilizing spouses of members of the Armed 

8 Forces to act as counselors for spouses and 

9 families of members of the National Guard and 

10 Reserve who are deployed in order to assist 

11 such spouses and families in coping with the de12 ployment of such members throughout their de13 ployment cycle. 

14 (2) CONSTRUCTION WITH OTHER ASSIST15 ANCE.—The pilot program shall be in addition to 

16 any assistance programs carried out by the Sec17 retary of Defense. 

18 (b) COUNSELING DUTIES.—The duties of spouses 

19 who act as counselors under the pilot program shall in20 clude— 

21 (1) the provision of assistance to spouses and 

22 families of members of the National Guard and Re23 serve who are deployed with respect to family readi24 ness, health care, and crisis referral; and 


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1 (2) the provision of outreach to such spouses 

2 and families on mental health matters such as mar3 riage and family counseling. 

4 (c) TRAINING IN COUNSELING.—In carrying out the 

5 pilot program, the Secretary shall provide appropriate 

6 training to spouses who act as counselors under the pilot 

7 program, including training on the matters set forth in 

8 clauses (i) through (iv) of subsection (a)(1)(A). 

9 (d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 

10 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 

11 shall submit to Congress a report on the pilot program. 

12 The report shall include— 

13 (1) a description of the activities under the pilot 

14 program; 

15 (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of family16 to-family support programs in achieving the results 

17 set forth in subsection (a)(1)(A); 

18 (3) an assessment of the feasability and advis19 ability of utilizing spouses of members of the Armed 

20 Forces to act as counselors as described in sub21 section (a)(1)(B); and 

22 (4) such other matters as the Secretary con23 siders appropriate in light of the pilot program. 

24 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

25 hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Department 


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1 of Defense for fiscal year 2008, $1,000,000 to carry out 

2 this section. 

3 SEC. 5. SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, INFANTS, AND 

4 TODDLERS OF MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 

5 GUARD AND RESERVE UNDERGOING DEPLOY6 MENT. 

7 (a) ENHANCEMENT OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR

8 CHILDREN.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 

10 shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 

11 and Human Services, enter into a contract or other 

12 agreement with a private sector entity having exper13 tise in the health and well-being of families and chil14 dren in order to enhance and develop support serv15 ices for children of members of the National Guard 

16 and Reserve who are deployed. 

17 (2) SUPPORT SERVICES.—In enhancing and de18 veloping support services pursuant to paragraph (1), 

19 the entity referred to in that paragraph shall— 

20 (A) develop materials for parents and 

21 other caretakers of children of members of the 

22 National Guard and Reserve who are deployed 

23 to assist such parents and caretakers in re24 sponding to the adverse implications of such de25 ployment (and the death or injury of such memVerDate Aug 31 2005 05:04 Mar 17, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S902.IS S902

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1 bers during such deployment) for such children, 

2 including the role such parents and caretakers 

3 can play in addressing and mitigating such im4 plications; 

5 (B) develop programs and activities to in6 crease awareness throughout the military and 

7 civilian communities of the adverse implications 

8 of such deployment (and the death or injury of 

9 such members during such deployment) for 

10 such children and their families and to increase 

11 collaboration within such communities to ad12 dress and mitigate such implications; 

13 (C) develop training for early child care 

14 and education, mental health, health care, and 

15 family support professionals to enhance the 

16 awareness of such professionals of their role in 

17 assisting families in addressing and mitigating 

18 the adverse implications of such deployment 

19 (and the death or injury of such members dur20 ing such deployment) for such children; and 

21 (D) conduct research on best practices for 

22 building psychological and emotional resiliency 

23 in such children in coping with the deployment 

24 of such members. 


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1 (b) ENHANCEMENT OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR IN2 FANTS AND TODDLERS.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 

4 shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 

5 and Human Services, enter into a contract or other 

6 agreement with a private sector entity having exper7 tise in the health and well-being of infants and tod8 dlers in order to enhance and develop support serv9 ices to address the special needs of infants and tod10 dlers of members of the National Guard and Reserve 

11 who are deployed. 

12 (2) SUPPORT SERVICES.—In enhancing and de13 veloping support services pursuant to paragraph (1), 

14 the entity referred to in that paragraph shall— 

15 (A) develop materials for parents and 

16 other caretakers of infants and toddlers of 

17 members of the National Guard and Reserve 

18 who are deployed to assist such parents and 

19 caretakers in responding to the adverse implica20 tions of such deployment (and the death or in21 jury of such members during such deployment) 

22 for such infants and toddlers, including the role 

23 such parents and caretakers can play in ad24 dressing and mitigating such implications; 


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1 (B) develop programs and activities to in2 crease awareness throughout the military and 

3 civilian communities of the adverse implications 

4 of such deployment (and the death or injury of 

5 such members during such deployment) for 

6 such infants and toddlers and their families and 

7 to increase collaboration within such commu8 nities to address and mitigate such implica9 tions; 

10 (C) develop training for education, mental 

11 health, health care, and family support profes12 sionals to enhance the awareness of such pro13 fessionals of their role in assisting families in 

14 addressing and mitigating the adverse implica15 tions of such deployment (and the death or in16 jury of such members during such deployment) 

17 for such infants and toddlers; and 

18 (D) conduct research on best practices for 

19 building psychological and emotional resiliency 

20 in the families of such infants and toddlers in 

21 coping with the deployment of such members. 

22 (c) REPORTS.— 

23 (1) REPORTS REQUIRED.—At the end of the 

24 18-month period beginning on the date of the enact25 ment of this Act, and at the end of the 36-month 


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1 period beginning on that date, each entity with 

2 which the Secretary of Defense enters into a con3 tract or agreement under subsection (a) or (b) shall 

4 submit to the Secretary, and to Congress, a report 

5 on the activities of such entity under such contract. 

6 (2) ELEMENTS.—Each report under paragraph 

7 (1) shall include the following: 

8 (A) An assessment of the extent to which 

9 outreach to parents and other caretakers of 

10 children, or infants and toddlers, as applicable, 

11 of members of the National Guard and Reserve 

12 was effective in reaching such parents and care13 takers and in mitigating the adverse effects of 

14 the deployment of such members on such chil15 dren or infants and toddlers. 

16 (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of 

17 the programs and activities under such contract 

18 in increasing collaboration and service provision 

19 in community agencies serving family members 

20 of the National Guard and Reserve undergoing 

21 deployment. 

22 (C) An assessment of the effectiveness of 

23 training materials for education, mental health, 

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1 ness of their role in assisting families in ad2 dressing and mitigating the adverse effects on 

3 children, or infants and toddlers, of the deploy4 ment of members of the National Guard and 

5 Reserve. 

6 (D) A description of best practices identi7 fied under such contract for building psycho8 logical and emotional resiliency in children, or 

9 infants and toddlers, in coping with the deploy10 ment of members of the National Guard and 

11 Reserve. 

12 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

13 (1) SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN.—There 

14 is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the De15 partment of Defense for fiscal year 2008, 

16 $6,000,000 to carry out subsection (a). 

17 (2) SUPPORT SERVICES FOR INFANTS AND TOD18 DLERS.—There is hereby authorized to be appro19 priated for the Department of Defense for fiscal 

20 year 2008, $6,000,000 to carry out subsection (b). 

21 SEC. 6. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR FAMILY MEMBERS 

22 OF DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 

23 GUARD AND RESERVE. 

24 (a) EXPANSION OF AVAILABILITY OF MENTAL

25 HEALTH SERVICES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

2 Affairs and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly 

3 take appropriate actions to expand and enhance ac4 cess to mental health services for family members of 

5 members and former members of the National 

6 Guard and Reserve who are disabled during military 

7 service. 

8 (2) SERVICES.—Access to mental health serv9 ices shall be expanded under paragraph (1) by the 

10 provision of mental health services through the fol11 lowing: 

12 (A) Community-based outpatient clinics of 

13 the Department of Veterans Affairs staffed by 

14 personnel of the Department. 

15 (B) Referral to appropriate facilities of the 

16 Department of Veterans Affairs for the receipt 

17 of such services. 

18 (C) Referral to appropriate mental health 

19 professionals in the community for receipt of 

20 such services. 

21 (D) Providers of telemental health services. 

22 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

23 There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for 

24 the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 

25 2008, $8,000,000 to carry out this section. 


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1 (b) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON ACCESS TO

2 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH TRICARE.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

4 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

5 Comptroller General of the United States shall sub6 mit to Congress a report on barriers to access to 

7 mental health services through the TRICARE pro8 gram, including the number of mental health serv9 ices providers under the TRICARE program that 

10 are located more than 40 miles from a military in11 stallation. 

12 (2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The report under 

13 paragraph (1) shall include recommendations for— 

14 (A) increasing access to mental health 

15 services providers under the TRICARE pro16 gram for members of the National Guard and 

17 their families; and 

18 (B) increasing the number of mental 

19 health services providers under the TRICARE 

20 program in areas located more than 40 miles 

21 from a military installation. 

Æ 


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