IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1310 
Expressing support for the designation of the month of June 2024 as ‘‘Na-
tional Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month’’ and June 27, 2024, 
as ‘‘National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 18, 2024 
Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. MAST, Mr. TRONE, Mr. MOULTON, and Mr. 
THOMPSON of California) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the designation of the month of June 
2024 as ‘‘National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness 
Month’’ and June 27, 2024, as ‘‘National Post-Trau-
matic Stress Awareness Day’’. 
Whereas the brave men and women of the Armed Forces, 
who proudly serve the United States, risk their lives to 
protect the freedom, health, and welfare of the people of 
the United States, and deserve the investment of every 
possible resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, 
and emotional well-being; 
Whereas nearly 2,800,000 members of the Armed Forces 
have deployed overseas since the events of September 11, 
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•HRES 1310 IH 
2001, and have served in places such as Afghanistan and 
Iraq; 
Whereas the current generation of men and women in the 
Armed Forces has sustained a high rate of operational 
deployments, with many members of the Armed Forces 
serving overseas multiple times, placing those members at 
high risk of enduring traumatic combat stress; 
Whereas, when left untreated, exposure to traumatic combat 
stress can lead to severe and chronic post-traumatic 
stress responses, commonly referred to as post-traumatic 
stress disorder (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘PTSD’’) 
or post-traumatic stress injury; 
Whereas many men and women of the Armed Forces and vet-
erans who served before September 11, 2001, live with 
mental health needs from post-traumatic stress and re-
main at risk; 
Whereas the Secretary of Veterans Affairs reports that ap-
proximately— 
(1) 11 to 20 percent of veterans who served in Oper-
ation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom 
have PTSD in a given year; 
(2) 12 percent of veterans who served in the Persian 
Gulf war have PTSD in a given year; and 
(3) 30 percent of veterans who served in the Viet-
nam era have had PTSD in their lifetimes; 
Whereas the diagnosis known as PTSD was initially formu-
lated in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association to 
describe and categorize the symptoms and behavioral 
complications of severe traumatic stress; 
Whereas the symptoms and behavioral complications of severe 
traumatic stress have historically been unjustly portrayed 
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•HRES 1310 IH 
in the media, stigmatizing individuals living with post 
traumatic stress; 
Whereas electro-magnetic imaging has shown that severe 
traumatic stress causes physical changes in the brain; 
Whereas many post-traumatic stress responses remain unre-
ported, undiagnosed, and untreated due to— 
(1) a lack of awareness about post-traumatic stress 
and the persistent stigma associated with mental health 
conditions; and 
(2) a lack of access to mental health treatment; 
Whereas, without timely redress, traumatic stress responses 
can worsen over time and lead to severe consequences, in-
cluding self-destruction; 
Whereas exposure to trauma during service in the Armed 
Forces can lead to post-traumatic stress; 
Whereas post-traumatic stress significantly increases the risk 
of anxiety, depression, homelessness, substance abuse, 
and suicide, especially if left untreated; 
Whereas public perceptions of post-traumatic stress as a 
mental health disorder create unique challenges for vet-
erans seeking employment; 
Whereas the Department of Defense, the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, and veterans service organizations, as well 
as the larger medical community, both private and public, 
have made significant advances in the identification, pre-
vention, diagnosis, and treatment of post-traumatic stress 
and the symptoms of post-traumatic stress, but many 
challenges remain; 
Whereas increased understanding of post-traumatic stress 
can help to eliminate the stigma attached to the mental 
health issues of post-traumatic stress; 
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•HRES 1310 IH 
Whereas additional efforts are needed to find further ways to 
eliminate the stigma associated with post-traumatic 
stress, including the recognition that post-traumatic 
stress is often a reparable injury, and examination of how 
post-traumatic stress is portrayed by the media; 
Whereas timely and appropriate treatment of post-traumatic 
stress responses can diminish complications and avert 
suicides; and 
Whereas the designation of a National Post-Traumatic Stress 
Awareness Month and a National Post-Traumatic Stress 
Awareness Day raises public awareness about issues re-
lated to post-traumatic stress, reduces the associated 
stigma, and helps ensure that those individuals suffering 
from the invisible wounds of war receive proper treat-
ment: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the designation of ‘‘National Post- 
Traumatic Stress Awareness Month’’ and ‘‘National 
Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day’’; 
(2) supports the efforts of the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense, as well 
as the entire medical community, to educate mem-
bers of the Armed Forces, veterans, the families of 
members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and the 
public about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of 
post-traumatic stress; 
(3) supports efforts by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to foster 
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•HRES 1310 IH 
cultural change around the issue of post-traumatic 
stress, understanding that personal interactions can 
save lives and advance treatment; 
(4) welcomes the efforts of the National Center 
for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs and local Vet Centers (as 
defined in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United 
States Code) to provide assistance to veterans who 
are suffering from the effects of post-traumatic 
stress; 
(5) encourages the leadership of the Armed 
Forces to support appropriate treatment of men and 
women of the Armed Forces who suffer from post- 
traumatic stress; and 
(6) recognizes the impact of post-traumatic 
stress on the spouses and families of members of the 
Armed Forces and veterans. 
Æ 
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