I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4305 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide an individual with a 

mental health assessment before the individual enlists in the Armed 

Forces or is commissioned as an officer in the Armed Forces. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2014 

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. ROE of 

Tennessee, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. MARINO, Mr. JONES, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. BARLETTA, 

and Mr. MEADOWS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide an individual with a mental health assessment before the individual enlists in the Armed Forces or is commissioned 

as an officer in the Armed Forces. 

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 ‘‘Medical Evaluation 

5 Parity for Servicemembers Act of 2014’’ or the ‘‘MEPS 

6 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) More focus needs to be put on mental 

4 health in America. 

5 (2) The large number of suicides among vet6 erans and members of the Armed Forces is unac7 ceptable, especially given that more members have 

8 died by suicide than in combat. 

9 (3) Many of those suicides in the military were 

10 members of the Armed Forces who never deployed. 

11 (4) Members of the Armed Forces, having been 

12 at war for more than a decade, have been put 

13 through acute physical and mental stress. 

14 (5) Many of the suicides in the Armed Forces 

15 can be prevented, and studies have found that im16 proved screening reduced later behavioral problems 

17 by 78 percent and reduced thoughts of suicide by 

18 more than half. 

19 (6) Although the military currently has a base20 line measurement process for physical health, the 

21 military does not currently have similar standards 

22 for mental health. 

23 (7) It is important that the military ensures 

24 that the members of the Armed Forces are both 

25 physically and mentally fit for all the missions the 

26 United States requires. 


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1 SEC. 3. PRELIMINARY MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 31 of title 10, United 

3 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing new section: 

5 ‘‘§ 520d. Preliminary mental health assessments 

6 ‘‘(a) PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH ASSESS7 MENT.—Before any individual enlists in an armed force 

8 or is commissioned as an officer in an armed force, the 

9 Secretary concerned shall provide the individual with a 

10 mental health assessment. The Secretary shall use such 

11 results as a baseline for any subsequent mental health ex12 aminations, including such examinations provided under 

13 sections 1074f and 1074m of this title. 

14 ‘‘(b) USE OF ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary may not 

15 consider the results of a mental health assessment con16 ducted under subsection (a) in determining the assign17 ment or promotion of a member of the Armed Forces. 

18 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION OF PRIVACY LAWS.—With respect 

19 to applicable laws and regulations relating to the privacy 

20 of information, the Secretary shall treat a mental health 

21 assessment conducted under subsection (a) in the same 

22 manner as the medical records of a member of the Armed 

23 Forces.’’. 

24 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

25 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 


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1 after the item relating to section 520c the following new 

2 item: 

‘‘520d. Preliminary mental health assessments.’’. 

3 (c) REPORT.— 

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

5 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Na6 tional Institute of Mental Health of the National In7 stitutes of Health shall submit to Congress and the 

8 Secretary of Defense a report on preliminary mental 

9 health assessments of members of the Armed 

10 Forces. 

11 (2) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The report under 

12 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

13 (A) Recommendations with respect to es14 tablishing a preliminary mental health assess15 ment of members of the Armed Forces to bring 

16 mental health screenings to parity with physical 

17 screenings of members. 

18 (B) Recommendations with respect to the 

19 composition of the mental health assessment, 

20 best practices, and how to track assessment 

21 changes relating to traumatic brain injuries, 

22 post-traumatic stress disorder, and other condi23 tions. 

24 (3) COORDINATION.—The National Institute of 

25 Mental Health shall carry out paragraph (1) in coVerDate Mar 15 2010 19:03 Mar 29, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4305.IH H4305

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1 ordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

2 the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 

3 Prevention, the surgeons general of the military de4 partments, and other relevant experts. 

Æ 


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