Military Suicide Reduction Act

To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve the mental health assessments provided to members of the Armed Forces deployed in support of a contingency operation. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Military Suicide Reduction Act 2. Mental health assessments for members of the Armed Forces deployed in support of a contingency operation (a) Increased assessments Subsection (a) of section 1074m (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and (B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph (B): (B) Once during each 180-day period in which the member is so deployed. ; and (2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (B) and (C) subparagraphs (C) and (D) (b) Deployment assessments by medical professionals Subsection (c) of such section is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking The mental health Except as provided by paragraph (3), the mental health (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (3) (A) If the Secretary determines that a mental health assessment conducted under subsection (a)(1)(B) cannot be performed by an individual described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall ensure that the mental health assessment is conducted using an Internet-based questionnaire. (B) After a member completes a questionnaire conducted under subparagraph (A), the immediate commanding officer of the member shall complete a separate Internet-based questionnaire regarding the observations of the commanding officer with respect to the mental health of the member. The commanding officer may not have access to the questionnaire of the member conducted under subparagraph (A). (C) The Secretary shall ensure that the questionnaires conducted under subparagraphs (A) and (B) to assess a member are combined and such combined document is reviewed and acted upon by personnel described in paragraph (1)(A) in the same manner as an assessment conducted pursuant to subparagraph (A), (C), or (D) of subsection (a)(1). (D) Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to treat a questionnaire conducted under subparagraph (A) or subparagraph (B) as being exempt from Department of Defense Directive 6025.18, a successor directive, or any other relevant regulation regarding privacy prescribed pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191). . (c) Uniform standards assessments Such section is amended— (1) in subsection (c)(1)(D), by striking consistent uniform (2) in subsection (f)(1), by adding at the end the following new sentence: Such regulations shall ensure that this section is carried out in a uniform manner among the military departments. (d) Conforming amendment Subsection (d) of such section is amended by striking subsection (a)(1)(C) subsection (a)(1)(D)

Summary: Military Suicide Reduction Act - Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to provide a one-on-one mental health assessment for each member of the Armed Forces deployed in support of a contingency operation once during each 180-day period of such deployment. Requires that, if the Secretary determines that such assessment cannot be performed by personnel trained and certified to do so, the Secretary shall ensure that the assessment is conducted using an Internet-based questionnaire. Requires, in such case, that the commanding officer (CO) of such member also complete a separate questionnaire containing the CO's observations with respect to the mental health of that member. Requires such questionnaires to: (1) be reviewed and acted upon by trained and certified mental health personnel, and (2) be accorded appropriate privacy under requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.