II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1271 

To provide for a comprehensive national research effort on the physical 

and mental health and other readjustment needs of the members of 

the Armed Forces and veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom 

and Operation Enduring Freedom and their families. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 2, 2007 

Mr. OBAMA (for himself and Mrs. MCCASKILL) introduced the following bill; 

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

A BILL 

To provide for a comprehensive national research effort on 

the physical and mental health and other readjustment 

needs of the members of the Armed Forces and veterans 

who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 

Enduring Freedom and their families. 

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 ‘‘Homecoming Enhance5 ment Research and Oversight (HERO) Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDY ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND 

2 OTHER READJUSTMENT NEEDS OF MEMBERS 

3 AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

4 FORCES WHO DEPLOYED IN OPERATION 

5 IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING 

6 FREEDOM AND THEIR FAMILIES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find8 ings: 

9 (1) The order on April 11, 2007 to extend the 

10 tour of duty for members of the Army on active duty 

11 in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring 

12 Freedom to 15 months is placing additional strains 

13 on the wellness of members of the Armed Forces 

14 and their families back home. 

15 (2) 20,000 United States troops have been de16 ployed at least 5 times since the war effort began. 

17 70,000 have been deployed at 3 least times. 

18 (3) Sixty percent of deployed members of the 

19 Armed Forces have family responsibilities. 

20 (4) More than 500,000 children have one or 

21 more parents deployed in support of the Global War 

22 on Terror (GWOT) at any given time. 

23 (5) It is estimated that more than 2,700 chil24 dren in the United States have lost a parent in Op25 eration Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Free26 dom. 


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1 (6) Women now comprise 16 percent of the all 

2 voluntary military force, yet there is a lack of re3 search on the psychological needs and readjustment 

4 concerns of female military personnel. 

5 (7) Members of the Armed Forces who have 

6 screened positive for a mental health disorder were 

7 twice as likely as members who have screened nega8 tive for a mental health disorder to report concern 

9 about possible stigmatization and other barriers to 

10 accessing care. Among members of the Armed 

11 Forces who screened positive for a mental health 

12 disorder, only between 23 percent and 40 percent 

13 have sought care. 

14 (8) As many as one quarter of all members of 

15 the Armed Forces returning from a combat zone 

16 have less visible psychological injuries. 

17 (9) On average, more than 20 percent of 

18 wounded members of the Armed Forces have a 

19 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

20 (10) More than a decade passed between the 

21 end of the conflict in Vietnam and the publication by 

22 the Federal Government of its landmark study on 

23 the readjustment needs of veterans of that conflict. 

24 The impacts of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on 

25 members of the Armed Forces, former members of 


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1 the Armed Forces, and their families must be rigor2 ously researched and addressed without a wait of 10 

3 years. 

4 (b) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense 

5 shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Af6 fairs, enter into an agreement with the National Academy 

7 of Sciences for a study on the physical and mental health 

8 and other readjustment needs of members and former 

9 members of the Armed Forces who deployed in Operation 

10 Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and their 

11 families as a result of such deployment. 

12 (c) PHASES.—The study required under subsection 

13 (b) shall consist of two phases: 

14 (1) A preliminary phase, to be completed not 

15 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 

16 of this Act— 

17 (A) to identify preliminary findings on the 

18 physical and mental health and other readjust19 ment needs described in subsection (b) and on 

20 gaps in care for the members, former members, 

21 and families described in that subsection; and 

22 (B) to determine the parameters of the 

23 second phase of the study under paragraph (2). 

24 (2) A second phase, to be completed not later 

25 than three years after the date of the enactment of 


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1 this Act, to carry out a comprehensive assessment, 

2 in accordance with the parameters identified under 

3 the preliminary report required by paragraph (1), of 

4 the physical and mental health and other readjust5 ment needs of members and former members of the 

6 Armed Forces who deployed in Operation Iraqi 

7 Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and their 

8 families as a result of such deployment, including, at 

9 a minimum— 

10 (A) an assessment of the psychological, so11 cial, and economic impacts of such deployment 

12 on such members and former members and 

13 their families; 

14 (B) an assessment of the particular im15 pacts of multiple deployments in Operation 

16 Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom 

17 on such members and former members and 

18 their families; 

19 (C) an assessment of the full scope of the 

20 neurological, psychiatric, and psychological ef21 fects of Traumatic Brain Injury on members 

22 and former members of the Armed Forces, in23 cluding the effects of such effects on the family 

24 members of such members and former mem25 bers, and an assessment of the efficacy of curVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:13 May 03, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1271.IS S1271

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1 rent treatment approaches for Traumatic Brain 

2 Injury in the United States and the efficacy of 

3 screenings and treatment approaches for Trau4 matic Brain Injury within the Department of 

5 Defense and the Department of Veterans Af6 fairs; 

7 (D) an assessment of the effects of 

8 undiagnosed injuries such as Post-Traumatic 

9 Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain 

10 Injury, and an estimate of the long-term costs 

11 associated with such injuries; 

12 (E) an assessment of the particular needs 

13 and concerns of female members of the Armed 

14 Forces and female veterans; 

15 (F) an assessment of the particular needs 

16 and concerns of minority members of the 

17 Armed Forces and minority veterans; 

18 (G) an assessment of the particular edu19 cational and vocational needs of such members 

20 and former members and their families; 

21 (H) the development, based on such as22 sessments, of recommendations for programs, 

23 treatments, or policy remedies targeted at pre24 venting, minimizing or addressing the impacts, 

25 gaps and needs identified; and 


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1 (I) the development, based on such assess2 ments, of recommendations for additional re3 search on such needs. 

4 (d) POPULATIONS TO BE STUDIED.—The study re5 quired under subsection (b) shall consider the readjust6 ment needs of each population of individuals as follows: 

7 (1) Members of the regular components of the 

8 Armed Forces who are returning, or have returned, 

9 to the United States from deployment in Operation 

10 Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. 

11 (2) Members of the National Guard and Re12 serve who are returning, or have returned, to the 

13 United States from deployment in Operation Iraqi 

14 Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. 

15 (3) Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or 

16 Operation Enduring Freedom. 

17 (4) Family members of the members and vet18 erans described in paragraphs (1) through (3). 

19 (e) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.—The National Acad20 emy of Sciences shall have access to such personnel, infor21 mation, records, and systems of the Department of De22 fense and the Department of Veterans Affairs as the Na23 tional Academy of Sciences requires in order to carry out 

24 the study required under subsection (b). 


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1 (f) PRIVACY OF INFORMATION.—The National Acad2 emy of Sciences shall maintain any personally identifiable 

3 information accessed by the Academy in carrying out the 

4 study required under subsection (b) in accordance with all 

5 applicable laws, protections, and best practices regarding 

6 the privacy of such information, and may not permit ac7 cess to such information by any persons or entities not 

8 engaged in work under the study. 

9 (g) REPORTS.— 

10 (1) REPORTS BY NATIONAL ACADEMY OF

11 SCIENCES.—Upon the completion of each phase of 

12 the study required under subsection (b), the Na13 tional Academy of Sciences shall submit to the Sec14 retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Af15 fairs a report on such phase of the study. 

16 (2) REPORTS BY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.— 

17 The Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress 

18 a comprehensive report on each phase of the study 

19 required under subsection (b) not later than 30 days 

20 after the date of the completion of such phase of the 

21 study. Each report shall set forth the report of the 

22 National Academy of Sciences on the phase of the 

23 study concerned under paragraph (1) and include 

24 such other information as the Secretary considers 

25 appropriate. 


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1 (3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF REPORTS.—The 

2 Secretary of Defense shall make available to the 

3 public each report submitted to Congress under 

4 paragraph (2), including by posting an electronic 

5 copy of such report on the Internet website of the 

6 Department of Defense that is available to the pub7 lic. 

8 (h) DOD AND VA RESPONSE TO NAS REPORTS.— 

9 (1) PRELIMINARY RESPONSE.—Not later than 

10 45 days after the receipt of a report under sub11 section (g)(1) on each phase of the study required 

12 under subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense and 

13 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly de14 velop a preliminary joint Department of Defense-De15 partment of Veterans Affairs plan to address the 

16 findings and recommendations of the National Acad17 emy of Sciences contained in such report. The pre18 liminary plan shall provide preliminary proposals on 

19 the matters set forth in paragraph (3). 

20 (2) FINAL RESPONSE.—Not later than 90 days 

21 after the receipt of a report under subsection (g)(1) 

22 on each phase of the study required under sub23 section (b), the Secretary of Defense and the Sec24 retary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly develop a 

25 final joint Department of Defense-Department of 


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1 Veterans Affairs plan to address the findings and 

2 recommendations of the National Academy of 

3 Sciences contained in such report. The final plan 

4 shall provide final proposals on the matters set forth 

5 in paragraph (3). 

6 (3) COVERED MATTERS.—The matters set forth 

7 in this paragraph with respect to a phase of the 

8 study required under subsection (b) are as follows: 

9 (A) Modifications of policy or practice 

10 within the Department of Defense and the De11 partment of Veterans Affairs that are necessary 

12 to address gaps in care or services as identified 

13 by the National Academy of Sciences under 

14 such phase of the study. 

15 (B) Modifications of policy or practice 

16 within the Department of Defense and the De17 partment of Veterans Affairs that are necessary 

18 to address recommendations made by the Na19 tional Academy of Sciences under such phase of 

20 the study. 

21 (C) An estimate of the costs of imple22 menting the modifications set forth under sub23 paragraphs (A) and (B), set forth by fiscal year 

24 for at least the first five fiscal years beginning 

25 after the date of the plan concerned. 


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1 (4) REPORTS ON RESPONSES.—The Secretary 

2 of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

3 shall jointly submit to Congress a report setting 

4 forth each joint plan developed under paragraphs (1) 

5 and (2). 

6 (5) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF RESPONSES.— 

7 The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Vet8 erans Affairs shall each make available to the public 

9 each report submitted to Congress under paragraph 

10 (4), including by posting an electronic copy of such 

11 report on the Internet website of the Department of 

12 Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs, as 

13 applicable, that is available to the public. 

14 (6) GAO AUDIT.—Not later than 45 days after 

15 the submittal to Congress of the report under para16 graph (4) on the final joint Department of Defense17 Department of Veterans Affairs plan under para18 graph (2), the Comptroller General of the United 

19 States shall submit to Congress a report assessing 

20 the contents of such report under paragraph (4). 

21 The report of the Comptroller General under this 

22 paragraph shall include— 

23 (A) an assessment of the adequacy and 

24 sufficiency of the final joint Department of De25 fense-Department of Veterans Affairs plan in 


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1 addressing the findings and recommendations 

2 of the National Academy of Sciences as a result 

3 of the study required under subsection (b); 

4 (B) an assessment of the feasibility and 

5 advisability of the modifications of policy and 

6 practice proposed in the final joint Department 

7 of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs 

8 plan; 

9 (C) an assessment of the sufficiency and 

10 accuracy of the cost estimates in the final joint 

11 Department of Defense-Department of Veterans 

12 Affairs plan; and 

13 (D) the comments, if any, of the National 

14 Academy of Sciences on the final joint Depart15 ment of Defense-Department of Veterans Af16 fairs plan. 

17 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

18 hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Department 

19 of Defense such sums as may be necessary to carry out 

20 this section. 

Æ 


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