II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 810 

To require a pilot program on an online computerized assessment to enhance 

detection of behaviors indicating a risk of suicide and other mental 

health conditions in members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 25, 2013 

Mr. DONNELLY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require a pilot program on an online computerized assessment to enhance detection of behaviors indicating a risk 

of suicide and other mental health conditions in members 

of the Armed Forces, 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 ‘‘Jacob Sexton Military 

5 Suicide Prevention Act of 2013’’. 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 810 IS

1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ONLINE COMPUTERIZED AS2 SESSMENT TO ENHANCE DETECTION OF BE3 HAVIORS INDICATING A RISK OF SUICIDE 

4 AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS 

5 IN MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find7 ings: 

8 (1) According to the Department of Veterans 

9 Affairs and the Centers for Disease Control and 

10 Prevention, at least 30,137 members of the Armed 

11 Forces and veterans have committed suicide since 

12 the Department of Defense began closely tracking 

13 these incidents in 2009. 

14 (2) In 2012 alone, approximately 349 members 

15 of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard 

16 and Reserve, committed suicide, which is more than 

17 the total number of members who died in combat 

18 operations in 2012. This number does not include 

19 the more than 6,000 veterans who committed suicide 

20 in 2012. 

21 (3) During a March 21, 2013, hearing of the 

22 Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep23 resentatives, Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of 

24 the Defense Suicide Prevention Office of the Depart25 ment of Defense (DPSO), stated that ‘‘[l]ess than 

26 half [of the suicide victims] had deployed, and few 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 810 IS

1 were involved in combat’’. This statement is con2 sistent with current research, which has shown other 

3 risk factors, such as relationships, legal or financial 

4 issues and alcohol or drug usage play a larger role 

5 than a member’s deployment history. Garrick also 

6 told the Committee that many of these suicidal vic7 tims did not communicate their intent, nor did they 

8 have known behavioral health histories. 

9 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con10 gress that, as the United States draws down combat oper11 ations in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense should 

12 continue to seek to identify tools to assist in the identifica13 tion of behavior indicating a risk suicide in members of 

14 the Armed Forces. 

15 (c) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 

16 Defense shall carry out a pilot program to assess the feasi17 bility and advisability of using an online computerized as18 sessment to assist the Department of Defense in detecting 

19 behaviors in members of the Armed Force that indicate 

20 a risk of suicide or other mental health conditions. 

21 (d) PARTICIPATING MEMBERS.—The Secretary shall 

22 carry out the pilot program using the following, as selected 

23 by the Secretary at random for purposes of the pilot pro24 gram: 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 810 IS

1 (1) 1,000 members of the regular component of 

2 the Army. 

3 (2) 1,000 members of the regular component of 

4 the Navy. 

5 (3) 1,000 members of the regular component of 

6 the Air Force. 

7 (4) 1,000 members of the regular component of 

8 the Marine Corps. 

9 (5) 500 members of the Army Reserve. 

10 (6) 500 members of the Army National Guard 

11 of the United States. 

12 (7) 500 members of the Navy Reserve. 

13 (8) 500 members of the Air Force Reserve. 

14 (9) 500 members of the Air National Guard of 

15 the United States. 

16 (10) 500 members of Marine Corps Reserve. 

17 (e) ONLINE COMPUTERIZED ASSESSMENTS.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot 

19 program, the Secretary shall require each member of 

20 the Armed Forces selected to participate in the pilot 

21 program to undertake two online computerized as22 sessments. 

23 (2) ELEMENTS.—The assessments under this 

24 subsection shall be designed to obtain such informa25 tion on behaviors that indicate a risk of suicide or 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 810 IS

1 other mental health conditions as the Secretary shall 

2 include in the assessments for purposes of the pilot 

3 program, including, but not limited to, work per4 formance, use and abuse of alcohol and other sub5 stances, financial matters, and relationship and so6 cial matters. 

7 (3) TIMING.—The assessments under this sub8 section shall be undertaken by a member at the 

9 same time the member undertakes each of the first 

10 two annual periodic health assessments (PHAs) in 

11 connection with service in the Armed Forces that 

12 are required of the member by the Department after 

13 the selection of the member for participation in the 

14 pilot program. 

15 (f) COMMAND QUESTIONNAIRES.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—At the same time a member 

17 of the Armed Forces undertakes an online computer18 ized assessment under subsection (e), the member of 

19 the Armed Forces first superior to such member in 

20 the chain of command shall undertake a question21 naire on the behavior of such member, including, but 

22 not limited to, behavior that indicates a risk of sui23 cide or other mental health conditions. 

24 (2) ELEMENTS.—The questionnaires under this 

25 subsection shall be designed to obtain information 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 810 IS

1 on the members covered by the questionnaires so as 

2 to verify the accuracy of the information provided by 

3 such members in undertaking assessments under 

4 subsection (e). 

5 (g) REFERRAL.—As part of pilot program, the Sec6 retary shall ensure that any member of the Armed Forces 

7 determined to have behavior indicating a risk of suicide 

8 or another mental health condition is referred to an appro9 priate mental health care provider for further assessment, 

10 care, and services in accordance with applicable proce11 dures. 

12 (h) CONTROL GROUPS.—In carrying out the pilot 

13 program, the Secretary shall establish one or more control 

14 groups whose behavior and experiences during the course 

15 of the pilot program permit comparison with the behavior 

16 and experiences of members participating in the pilot pro17 gram. Each control group shall consist of such members 

18 of the Armed Forces as the Secretary shall identify for 

19 purposes of the pilot program. 

20 (i) PRIVACY MATTERS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The privacy of any medical 

22 or other information obtained on members of the 

23 Armed Forces under this section shall be protected 

24 in accordance with the laws on privacy applicable to 

25 such information. 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 810 IS

1 (2) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN USES.—No infor2 mation obtained on a member under this section 

3 may be used in determining the promotion or ad4 vancement of the member or any other benefit for 

5 which the member may be eligible. 

6 (3) EXCLUSION OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE

7 INFORMATION FROM REPORTS.—No personally iden8 tifiable information on members may be included in 

9 any report under subsection (j). 

10 (j) REPORT.— 

11 (1) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 

12 days after the date on which all the members of the 

13 Armed Forces participating in the pilot program 

14 have completed both of the online computerized as15 sessments required by subsection (e) for purposes of 

16 the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the 

17 appropriate committees of Congress a report on the 

18 pilot program. 

19 (2) ELEMENTS.—The report under paragraph 

20 (1) shall include the following: 

21 (A) A description of the pilot program, in22 cluding a detailed description of the assess23 ments used for purposes of subsection (e) and 

24 the questionnaires used for purposes of sub25 section (f). 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 810 IS

1 (B) A summary of the various behaviors 

2 detected through the assessments and question3 naires. 

4 (C) A description of the number of mem5 bers identified as being at risk of suicide or 

6 other mental health conditions, and an assess7 ment of the correlation between the risks identi8 fied and the various behaviors detected. 

9 (D) If care and services were provided to 

10 members pursuant to subsection (g), a descrip11 tion of such care and services and an assess12 ment of the effectiveness of such care and serv13 ices. 

14 (E) A description of the number of mem15 bers participating in the pilot program who 

16 committed suicide. 

17 (F) A description of the control groups es18 tablished pursuant to subsection (h), and a 

19 comparative analysis of the behavior and experi20 ences of members of such control groups during 

21 the pilot program with the behavior and experi22 ences of members participating in the pilot pro23 gram, including on matters relating to suicidal 

24 ideations, suicides attempted, and suicides com25 mitted. 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 810 IS

1 (G) A comparative analysis of the rate of 

2 suicide among members participating in the 

3 pilot program, members of the control groups 

4 established pursuant to subsection (h), and the 

5 general population of each of the Armed 

6 Forces. 

7 (H) Such recommendations for extension 

8 or expansion of the pilot program as the Sec9 retary considers appropriate in light of the pilot 

10 program, including recommendations on the 

11 feasibility and advisability of incorporating the 

12 online computerized assessments under the pilot 

13 program in the online questionnaire of the an14 nual periodic health assessments (PHA) in con15 nection with service in the Armed Forces that 

16 are required by the Department. 

17 (k) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE18 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate commit19 tees of Congress’’ means— 

20 (1) the Committee on Armed Services and the 

21 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate; and 

22 (2) the Committee on Armed Services and the 

23 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

24 Representatives. 

Æ 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS