I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3972 
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
to more effectively provide mental health resources for members of the 
Armed Forces and veterans at high risk of suicide, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 5, 2015 
Mr. KILDEE (for himself, Mr. O’ROURKE, and Mr. MOULTON) 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 direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to more effectively provide mental 
health resources for members of the Armed Forces and 
veterans at high risk of suicide, 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 ‘‘Honoring our Return-
ing Veterans and Service Members Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR MEMBERS OF 
THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall more effectively pro-
vide mental health resources for members of the Armed 
Forces and veterans by jointly developing a methodology 
that identifies which members of the Armed Forces and 
veterans are at high risk of suicide. 
(b) MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES.— 
(1) HIGH
RISK
MEMBERS
OF
THE
ARMED 
FORCES.—The Secretary of Defense shall use the re-
sults under subsection (c) to— 
(A) identify which units have a dispropor-
tionately high rate of suicide and suicide at-
tempts; and 
(B) provide additional preventative and 
treatment resources for mental health for mem-
bers of the Armed Forces who were deployed 
with the units identified under subparagraph 
(A). 
(2) HIGH RISK VETERANS.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall use the results under sub-
section (c) to— 
(A) identify which units have a dispropor-
tionately high rate of suicide and suicide at-
tempts; and 
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(B) provide additional preventative and 
treatment resources for mental health for vet-
erans who were deployed with the units identi-
fied under subparagraph (A). 
(3) PREVENTATIVE MENTAL HEALTH CARE.— 
The Secretary of Defense shall use the results under 
subsection (c) to— 
(A) identify the circumstances of deploy-
ments associated with increased vulnerability to 
suicide, including the length of deployment, the 
region and area of deployment, and the nature 
and extent to which there was contact with 
enemy forces; and 
(B) provide additional preventative mental 
health care to units who currently are, or will 
be, deployed under circumstances similar to 
those of subparagraph (A). 
(c) METHODOLOGY.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 
develop a methodology to assess the following: 
(1) RATE OF SUICIDE AND SUICIDE ATTEMPTS 
OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall assess the rate of suicide and 
suicide attempts of members of the Armed Forces of 
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