I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2058 
To require mental health screenings for members of the Armed Forces who 
are deployed in connection with a contingency operation, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 23, 2009 
Mr. REHBERG (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of California) 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 consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To require mental health screenings for members of the 
Armed Forces who are deployed in connection with a 
contingency operation, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Post-Deployment 
Health Assessment Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS FOR MEMBERS OF 
THE ARMED FORCES DEPLOYED IN CONNEC-
TION WITH A CONTINGENCY OPERATION. 
(a) MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall issue guidance for the provi-
sion of an in-person mental health screening for 
each member of the Armed Forces who is deployed 
in connection with a contingency operation as fol-
lows: 
(A) At a time during the period beginning 
180 days before the date of deployment in con-
nection with the contingency operation and end-
ing 90 days before the date of deployment in 
connection with the contingency operation. 
(B) At a time during the period beginning 
90 days after the date of redeployment from the 
contingency operation and ending 180 days 
after the date of redeployment from the contin-
gency operation. 
(C) Subject to subsection (d), not later 
than each of 6 months, 12 months, and 18 
months after the screening provided under sub-
paragraph (B). 
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(2) EXCLUSION
OF
CERTAIN
MEMBERS.—A 
mental health screening is not required for a mem-
bers of the Armed Forces under subparagraphs (B) 
and (C) of paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines 
that the member was not subjected or exposed to 
combat stress during deployment in the contingency 
operation concerned. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the mental health 
screenings provided pursuant to this section shall be to 
identify post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ten-
dencies, and other behavioral health issues identified 
among members of the Armed Forces described in sub-
section (a) in order to determine which such members are 
in need of additional care and treatment for such health 
issues. 
(c) ELEMENTS.— 
(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
mental 
health 
screenings provided pursuant to this section shall— 
(A) be performed by personnel trained and 
certified to perform such screenings in accord-
ance with such criteria as the Secretary of De-
fense shall establish; and 
(B) include an in-person dialogue between 
members of the Armed Forces described in sub-
section (a) and personnel described by para-
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graph (1) on such matters as the Secretary 
shall specify in order that the screenings 
achieve the purpose specified in subsection (b) 
for such screenings. 
(2) TREATMENT
OF
CURRENT
ASSESSMENTS 
AND SCREENINGS.—The Secretary may treat peri-
odic 
health 
assessments 
and 
other 
in-person 
screenings that are provided to members of the 
Armed Forces as of the date of the enactment of 
this Act as meeting the requirements for mental 
health screenings required under this section if the 
Secretary determines that such assessments and in- 
person screenings meet the requirements for mental 
health screenings established by this section. 
(d) CESSATION OF SCREENINGS.—No mental health 
screening is required to be provided an individual under 
subsection (a)(1)(C) after the individual’s discharge or re-
lease from the Armed Forces. 
(e) SHARING OF INFORMATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall share with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
such information on members of the Armed Forces 
that is derived from confidential mental health 
screenings, including mental health screenings pro-
vided pursuant to this section and health assess-
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ments and other in-person screenings provided be-
fore the date of the enactment of this Act, as the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs jointly consider appropriate to ensure con-
tinuity of mental health care and treatment of mem-
bers of the Armed Forces during their transition 
from health care and treatment provided by the De-
partment of Defense to health care and treatment 
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(2) PROTOCOLS.—Any sharing of information 
under paragraph (1) shall occur pursuant to a pro-
tocol jointly established by the Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for purposes 
of this subsection. Any such protocol shall be con-
sistent with the following: 
(A) Applicable provisions of the Wounded 
Warrior Act (title XVI of Public Law 110–181; 
10 U.S.C. 1071 note), including in particular, 
section 1614 of that Act (122 Stat. 443; 10 
U.S.C. 1071 note). 
(B) Section 1720F of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(f) CONTINGENCY OPERATION DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘contingency operation’’ has the mean-
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ing given that term in section 101(a)(13) of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(g) REPORTS.— 
(1) REPORT ON GUIDANCE.—Upon the issuance 
of the guidance required by subsection (a), the Sec-
retary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report 
describing the guidance. 
(2) REPORT
ON
IMPLEMENTATION
OF
GUID-
ANCE.—Not later than one year after the date of the 
issuance of the guidance required by subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on 
the implementation of the guidance by the military 
departments. The report shall include an evidence- 
based assessment of the effectiveness of the mental 
health screenings provided pursuant to the guidance 
in achieving the purpose specified in subsection (b) 
for such screenings. 
Æ 
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