I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1541 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 15, 2007 

Mr. BRALEY of Iowa (for himself, Mr. LOEBSACK, and Mr. BOSWELL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a 

period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Coming Together for Guard and Reserve Families Act’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
2 

•HR 1541 IH

Sec. 2. Findings. 

Sec. 3. Family support for families of members of the National Guard and Reserve undergoing deployment. 

Sec. 4. Pilot program on family-to-family support for families of members of 

the National Guard and Reserve undergoing deployment. 

Sec. 5. Support services for children, infants, and toddlers of members of the 

National Guard and Reserve undergoing deployment. 

Sec. 6. Mental health services for family members of disabled members of the 

National Guard and Reserve. 

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

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

4 parent deployed overseas as a member of the Armed 

5 Forces since September 11, 2001, and more than 

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

7 or Afghanistan. 

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

9 National Guard and Reserve who have been deployed 

10 overseas report mental health symptoms within three 

11 to six months of returning home from deployment, 

12 compared with 32 percent of the members of the 

13 regular military who have been so deployed. Fifteen 

14 percent of the members of the National Guard and 

15 Reserve have been identified as at risk for post trau16 matic stress disorder (PTSD), compared with 9 per17 cent of the members of the regular military. Re18 search suggests that increased stress in the family 

19 can trigger symptoms of post traumatic stress dis20 order. 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
3 

•HR 1541 IH

1 (3) Military families face significant challenges 

2 throughout the deployment cycle of members of the 

3 Armed Forces. Families of members of the National 

4 Guard and Reserve are particularly vulnerable be5 cause of their distance from military bases and their 

6 lack of access to the services upon which military 

7 families typically draw. In addition, many families of 

8 members of the National Guard and Reserve are 

9 currently experiencing multiple extended deploy10 ments, and do not have the necessary support avail11 able to them. 

12 (4) Uncertainty and separation can create high 

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

14 Stress can put children at greater risk for behavioral 

15 problems, academic difficulties, anxiety, and depres16 sion. Family separations many times result in mar17 ital problems, financial difficulties, and stress on 

18 family relationships. 

19 (5) Research suggests that military families 

20 who receive community and social support while 

21 members of the National Guard and Reserve are un22 dergoing deployment have the most positive out23 comes. Supporting families and children affected by 

24 deployment can ease transitional stress, help mem25 bers of the National Guard and Reserve and their 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
4 

•HR 1541 IH

1 families cope during and after deployment, prevent 

2 mental health problems, and assist in a smooth tran3 sition of members of the National Guard and Re4 serve back to civilian life. 

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

6 THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE UN7 DERGOING DEPLOYMENT. 

8 (a) FAMILY SUPPORT.— 

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

10 shall enhance and improve current programs of the 

11 Department of Defense to provide family support for 

12 families of members of the National Guard and Re13 serve in order to improve the assistance available for 

14 families of members of the National Guard and Re15 serve who are deployed throughout their deployment 

16 cycle. 

17 (2) SPECIFIC ENHANCEMENTS.—In enhancing 

18 and improving programs under paragraph (1), the 

19 Secretary shall enhance and improve the availability 

20 of the following: 

21 (A) Support staff to assist families of the 

22 members of the National Guard and Reserve 

23 who are deployed throughout their deployment 

24 cycle, including staff to assist such families 

25 in— 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
5 

•HR 1541 IH

1 (i) preparing and updating family care 

2 plans; and 

3 (ii) securing information on health 

4 care benefits and services and on other 

5 community resources. 

6 (B) Support staff to provide referrals for 

7 such families for— 

8 (i) crisis services; and 

9 (ii) marriage counseling and family 

10 counseling. 

11 (b) POST-DEPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR SPOUSES

12 AND PARENTS OF RETURNING MEMBERS.— 

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

14 shall provide spouses and parents of members of the 

15 National Guard and Reserve who are returning from 

16 deployment assistance in— 

17 (A) understanding issues that arise in the 

18 readjustment of such members to civilian life; 

19 (B) identifying signs and symptoms of 

20 mental health issues; and 

21 (C) encouraging such members and their 

22 families in seeking assistance for such issues. 

23 (2) INFORMATION ON AVAILABLE RE24 SOURCES.—In providing assistance under paragraph 

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


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
6 

•HR 1541 IH

1 resources for mental health services, family coun2 seling services, or other appropriate services, includ3 ing services available from both military providers of 

4 such services and community-base providers of such 

5 services. 

6 (3) TIMING.—The Secretary shall provide re7 sources under paragraph (1) with respect to a mem8 ber of the National Guard or Reserve returning from 

9 deployment approximately six months after the date 

10 of the return of such member from deployment. 

11 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

12 hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Department 

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

14 this section. 

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

16 FOR FAMILIES OF MEMBERS OF THE NA17 TIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE UNDERGOING 

18 DEPLOYMENT. 

19 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 

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

21 shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 

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

23 (A) assess the effectiveness of family-to24 family support programs in— 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
7 

•HR 1541 IH

1 (i) the early identification and preven2 tion of family problems for families of 

3 members of the National Guard and Re4 serve who are deployed; 

5 (ii) the provision of peer support for 

6 such families; 

7 (iii) reducing adverse outcomes for 

8 children of such families, including poor 

9 academic performance, behavioral prob10 lems, and the adverse consequence of 

11 stress and anxiety; and 

12 (iv) improving family readiness and 

13 post-deployment transition for such fami14 lies; and 

15 (B) assess the feasability and advisability 

16 of utilizing spouses of members of the Armed 

17 Forces to act as counselors for spouses and 

18 families of members of the National Guard and 

19 Reserve who are deployed in order to assist 

20 such spouses and families in coping with the de21 ployment of such members throughout their de22 ployment cycle. 

23 (2) CONSTRUCTION WITH OTHER ASSIST24 ANCE.—The pilot program shall be in addition to 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
8 

•HR 1541 IH

1 any assistance programs carried out by the Sec2 retary of Defense. 

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

4 who act as counselors under the pilot program shall in5 clude— 

6 (1) the provision of assistance to spouses and 

7 families of members of the National Guard and Re8 serve who are deployed with respect to family readi9 ness, health care, and crisis referral; and 

10 (2) the provision of outreach to such spouses 

11 and families on mental health matters such as mar12 riage and family counseling. 

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

14 pilot program, the Secretary shall provide appropriate 

15 training to spouses who act as counselors under the pilot 

16 program, including training on the matters set forth in 

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

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

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

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

21 The report shall include— 

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

23 program; 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
9 

•HR 1541 IH

1 (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of family2 to-family support programs in achieving the results 

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

4 (3) an assessment of the feasability and advis5 ability of utilizing spouses of members of the Armed 

6 Forces to act as counselors as described in sub7 section (a)(1)(B); and 

8 (4) such other matters as the Secretary con9 siders appropriate in light of the pilot program. 

10 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

11 hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Department 

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

13 this section. 

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

15 TODDLERS OF MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 

16 GUARD AND RESERVE UNDERGOING DEPLOY17 MENT. 

18 (a) ENHANCEMENT OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR

19 CHILDREN.— 

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

21 shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 

22 and Human Services, enter into a contract or other 

23 agreement with a private sector entity having exper24 tise in the health and well-being of families and chil25 dren in order to enhance and develop support servVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:03 Mar 20, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1541.IH H1541

hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
10 

•HR 1541 IH

1 ices for children of members of the National Guard 

2 and Reserve who are deployed. 

3 (2) SUPPORT SERVICES.—In enhancing and de4 veloping support services pursuant to paragraph (1), 

5 the entity referred to in that paragraph shall— 

6 (A) develop materials for parents and 

7 other caretakers of children of members of the 

8 National Guard and Reserve who are deployed 

9 to assist such parents and caretakers in re10 sponding to the adverse implications of such de11 ployment (and the death or injury of such mem12 bers during such deployment) for such children, 

13 including the role such parents and caretakers 

14 can play in addressing and mitigating such im15 plications; 

16 (B) develop programs and activities to in17 crease awareness throughout the military and 

18 civilian communities of the adverse implications 

19 of such deployment (and the death or injury of 

20 such members during such deployment) for 

21 such children and their families and to increase 

22 collaboration within such communities to ad23 dress and mitigate such implications; 

24 (C) develop training for early child care 

25 and education, mental health, health care, and 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
11 

•HR 1541 IH

1 family support professionals to enhance the 

2 awareness of such professionals of their role in 

3 assisting families in addressing and mitigating 

4 the adverse implications of such deployment 

5 (and the death or injury of such members dur6 ing such deployment) for such children; and 

7 (D) conduct research on best practices for 

8 building psychological and emotional resiliency 

9 in such children in coping with the deployment 

10 of such members. 

11 (b) ENHANCEMENT OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR IN12 FANTS AND TODDLERS.— 

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

14 shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 

15 and Human Services, enter into a contract or other 

16 agreement with a private sector entity having exper17 tise in the health and well-being of infants and tod18 dlers in order to enhance and develop support serv19 ices to address the special needs of infants and tod20 dlers of members of the National Guard and Reserve 

21 who are deployed. 

22 (2) SUPPORT SERVICES.—In enhancing and de23 veloping support services pursuant to paragraph (1), 

24 the entity referred to in that paragraph shall— 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
12 

•HR 1541 IH

1 (A) develop materials for parents and 

2 other caretakers of infants and toddlers of 

3 members of the National Guard and Reserve 

4 who are deployed to assist such parents and 

5 caretakers in responding to the adverse implica6 tions of such deployment (and the death or in7 jury of such members during such deployment) 

8 for such infants and toddlers, including the role 

9 such parents and caretakers can play in ad10 dressing and mitigating such implications; 

11 (B) develop programs and activities to in12 crease awareness throughout the military and 

13 civilian communities of the adverse implications 

14 of such deployment (and the death or injury of 

15 such members during such deployment) for 

16 such infants and toddlers and their families and 

17 to increase collaboration within such commu18 nities to address and mitigate such implica19 tions; 

20 (C) develop training for education, mental 

21 health, health care, and family support profes22 sionals to enhance the awareness of such pro23 fessionals of their role in assisting families in 

24 addressing and mitigating the adverse implica25 tions of such deployment (and the death or inVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:03 Mar 20, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1541.IH H1541

hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
13 

•HR 1541 IH

1 jury of such members during such deployment) 

2 for such infants and toddlers; and 

3 (D) conduct research on best practices for 

4 building psychological and emotional resiliency 

5 in the families of such infants and toddlers in 

6 coping with the deployment of such members. 

7 (c) REPORTS.— 

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

9 18-month period beginning on the date of the enact10 ment of this Act, and at the end of the 36-month 

11 period beginning on that date, each entity with 

12 which the Secretary of Defense enters into a con13 tract or agreement under subsection (a) or (b) shall 

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

15 on the activities of such entity under such contract. 

16 (2) ELEMENTS.—Each report under paragraph 

17 (1) shall include the following: 

18 (A) An assessment of the extent to which 

19 outreach to parents and other caretakers of 

20 children, or infants and toddlers, as applicable, 

21 of members of the National Guard and Reserve 

22 was effective in reaching such parents and care23 takers and in mitigating the adverse effects of 

24 the deployment of such members on such chil25 dren or infants and toddlers. 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
14 

•HR 1541 IH

1 (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of 

2 the programs and activities under such contract 

3 in increasing collaboration and service provision 

4 in community agencies serving family members 

5 of the National Guard and Reserve undergoing 

6 deployment. 

7 (C) An assessment of the effectiveness of 

8 training materials for education, mental health, 

9 health, and family support professionals devel10 oped under such contract in increasing aware11 ness of their role in assisting families in ad12 dressing and mitigating the adverse effects on 

13 children, or infants and toddlers, of the deploy14 ment of members of the National Guard and 

15 Reserve. 

16 (D) A description of best practices identi17 fied under such contract for building psycho18 logical and emotional resiliency in children, or 

19 infants and toddlers, in coping with the deploy20 ment of members of the National Guard and 

21 Reserve. 

22 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

23 (1) SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN.—There 

24 is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the DeVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:03 Mar 20, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1541.IH H1541

hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
15 

•HR 1541 IH

1 partment of Defense for fiscal year 2008, 

2 $6,000,000 to carry out subsection (a). 

3 (2) SUPPORT SERVICES FOR INFANTS AND TOD4 DLERS.—There is hereby authorized to be appro5 priated for the Department of Defense for fiscal 

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

7 SEC. 6. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR FAMILY MEMBERS 

8 OF DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 

9 GUARD AND RESERVE. 

10 (a) EXPANSION OF AVAILABILITY OF MENTAL

11 HEALTH SERVICES.— 

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

13 Affairs and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly 

14 take appropriate actions to expand and enhance ac15 cess to mental health services for family members of 

16 members and former members of the National 

17 Guard and Reserve who are disabled during military 

18 service. 

19 (2) SERVICES.—Access to mental health serv20 ices shall be expanded under paragraph (1) by the 

21 provision of mental health services through the fol22 lowing: 

23 (A) Community-based outpatient clinics of 

24 the Department of Veterans Affairs staffed by 

25 personnel of the Department. 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
16 

•HR 1541 IH

1 (B) Referral to appropriate facilities of the 

2 Department of Veterans Affairs for the receipt 

3 of such services. 

4 (C) Referral to appropriate mental health 

5 professionals in the community for receipt of 

6 such services. 

7 (D) Providers of telemental health services. 

8 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

9 There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for 

10 the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 

11 2008, $8,000,000 to carry out this section. 

12 (b) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON ACCESS TO

13 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH TRICARE.— 

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

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

16 Comptroller General of the United States shall sub17 mit to Congress a report on barriers to access to 

18 mental health services through the TRICARE pro19 gram, including the number of mental health serv20 ices providers under the TRICARE program that 

21 are located more than 40 miles from a military in22 stallation. 

23 (2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The report under 

24 paragraph (1) shall include recommendations for— 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
17 

•HR 1541 IH

1 (A) increasing access to mental health 

2 services providers under the TRICARE pro3 gram for members of the National Guard and 

4 their families; and 

5 (B) increasing the number of mental 

6 health services providers under the TRICARE 

7 program in areas located more than 40 miles 

8 from a military installation. 

Æ 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS