To establish a task force of the Department of Defense on mental health.

To establish a task force of the Department of Defense on mental health. 1. Task force of the Department of Defense on mental health (a) Establishment The Secretary of Defense shall establish a task force to examine matters relating to the mental health of members of the Armed Forces. (b) Membership (1) Qualifications The Secretary of Defense shall appoint to the task force individuals who have demonstrated expertise in the following areas: (A) National mental health policy. (B) Military personnel policy. (C) Research in the field of mental health. (D) Clinical care in mental health. (E) Military chaplain or pastoral care. (2) Number; composition The Secretary shall appoint not more than 15 individuals to the task force in accordance with the following: (A) DOD appointees One half of the appointees shall include— (i) at least one member of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the National Guard; (ii) at least one surgeon general of an Armed Force; and (iii) at least one dependent of a member of the Armed Forces who has experience working with military families. (B) Non-DOD appointees One half of the appointees shall be individuals who are not members of the Armed Forces, civilian employees of the Department of Defense, or dependents of such members, including— (i) an officer or employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (ii) an officer or employee of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services. (C) Deadline The Secretary of Defense shall appoint all members not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (D) Co-chairs There shall be two co-chairs of the task force, one of the whom shall be designated by the Secretary at the time of appointment from among the individuals appointed under subparagraph (A). The other co-chair shall be selected from among the members appointed under subparagraph (B) by members so appointed. (c) Assessment and recommendations on mental health services (1) In general Not later than 12 months after the date on which all members of the task force have been appointed, the task force shall submit to the Secretary a report containing an assessment of, and recommendations for improving, the efficacy of mental health services provided to members of the Armed Forces by the Department of Defense. (2) Utilization of other efforts In preparing the report, the task force shall take into consideration completed and ongoing efforts by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the efficacy of mental health care provided to members of the Armed Forces. (3) Elements The assessment and recommendations (including recommendations for legislative or administrative action) shall include measures to improve the following: (A) The awareness of the potential for mental health conditions of members of the Armed Forces. (B) The access to, and efficacy of, existing programs (include telehealth programs) in primary care and mental health care to prevent, identify, and treat mental health conditions of members of the Armed Forces, including programs for— (i) forward-deployed troops; (ii) members of the reserve components; and (iii) members assigned to remote or austere duty locations. (C) The access to adequate telehealth resources including for members described in subparagraph (B), including access to equipment, bandwidth, and platforms used to deliver care. (D) The assessment of disruptions to mental health care as a result of frequent changes to TRICARE eligibility and coverage for members of the National Guard, as well as potential benefits of more consistent care. (E) Analysis of the potential effect on access and outcomes for members serving on active duty as a result of proposed cuts to military end strengths regarding members with medical military occupational specialties. (F) The access to and programs for family members of members of the Armed Forces, including family members overseas. (G) Access to, and quality of, private mental health care received by members through TRICARE. (H) The reduction or elimination of barriers to care, including the stigma associated with mental health conditions, by measures including enhanced confidentiality for members who seek care for such conditions. (I) The awareness of mental health services available to dependents of members. (J) The adequacy of outreach, education, and support programs on mental health matters for families of members. (K) The early identification and treatment of mental health and substance abuse problems through the use of internal mass media communications (including radio, and television, social media) and other education tools to change attitudes within the Armed Forces regarding mental health and substance abuse treatment. (L) The transition from mental health care furnished by the Secretary of Defense to such care furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. (M) The availability of long-term follow-up and access to care for mental health conditions for members of the Individual Ready Reserve and the Selected Reserve and for discharged, separated, or retired members of the Armed Forces. (N) Collaboration between agencies of the Department of Defense with responsibility for, or jurisdiction over, the provision of mental health services. (O) Coordination between the Department of Defense and civilian communities, including State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, and local support organizations, with respect to mental health services. (P) Coordination between the Department of Defense and relevant Federal stakeholders, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control. (Q) The scope and efficacy of curricula and training on mental health matters for commanders in the Armed Forces. (R) The efficiency and effectiveness of pre- and post-deployment mental health screenings, including mental health screenings for members of the Armed Forces. (S) The effectiveness of mental health programs provided in languages other than English. (T) Tracking the use of behavioral health services and related outcomes, including wait times, continuity of care, symptom resolution, and maintenance of improvements resulting from treatment. (U) Other matters the task force determines appropriate. (d) Administrative matters (1) Compensation Each member of the task force who is a member of the Armed Forces or a civilian officer or employee of the United States shall serve without compensation (other than compensation to which entitled as a member of the Armed Forces or an officer or employee of the United States, as the case may be). Other members of the task force shall be treated for purposes of section 3161 of title 5, United States Code, as having been appointed under subsection (b) of such section. (2) Oversight The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall oversee the activities of the task force. (3) Administrative support The Washington Headquarters Services of the Department of Defense shall provide the task force with personnel, facilities, and other administrative support as necessary for the performance of the duties of the task force. (4) Access to facilities The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments, ensure appropriate access by the task force to military installations and facilities for purposes of the discharge of the duties of the task force. (e) Report (1) Submission to Secretary of Defense The task force shall submit to the Secretary of Defense a report on its activities under this section. The report shall include— (A) a description of the activities of the task force; (B) the assessment and recommendations required by subsection (c); and (C) other matters that the task force determines appropriate. (2) Submission to Congress Not later than 90 days after receipt of the report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services, and on Veterans’ Affairs, of the Senate and the House of Representatives, a copy such report. The Secretary may include in such submission comments on the report the Secretary determines appropriate. (f) Termination The task force shall terminate 90 days after the date on which the report of the task force is submitted to Congress under subsection (e)(2). (g) Plan of the Secretary Not later than six months after receipt of the report from the task force under subsection (e), the Secretary of Defense shall develop a plan based on the recommendations of the task force and submit the plan to the congressional defense committees. (h) Reports by the Secretary For each of the five years following the submission of the report from the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the recommendations made by the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health with respect to the Determinations. Department of Defense. Each such report shall include— (1) for each such recommendation, the determination of the Secretary of Defense whether to implement the recommendation; (2) in the case of a recommendation the Secretary intends to implement, the intended timeline for implementation, a description of any additional resources or authorities required for such implementation, and the plan for such implementation; (3) in the case of a recommendation the Secretary determines is not advisable or feasible, the analysis and justification of the Secretary in making that determination; and (4) in the case of a recommendation the Secretary determines the Department is already implementing, the analysis and justification of the Secretary in making that determination. (i) Briefings by the Secretary Not less than once each of the five years following the submission of the report, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on— (1) the progress of the Secretary in analyzing and implementing the recommendations made by the task force; (2) any programs, projects, or other activities of the Department of Defense that are being carried out to implement such recommendations; and (3) the amount of funding provided for such programs, projects, and activities.

Summary: This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a task force to examine matters relating to the mental health of members of the Armed Forces. The task force must submit a report to DOD that includes recommendations related to the mental health services provided to members of the Armed Forces. DOD must develop a plan based on the recommendations of the task force.