I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6075 
To expand and improve mental health care and reintegration programs for 
members of the National Guard and Reserve, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2008 
Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. KUHL of New York, Mr. MCGOV-
ERN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BISHOP of New York, and Ms. MOORE of Wis-
consin) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To expand and improve mental health care and reintegration 
programs for members of the National Guard and Re-
serve, 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 ‘‘National Guard and 
Reserve Mental Health Access Act of 2008’’. 
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SEC. 
2. 
IMPLEMENTATION 
OF 
YELLOW 
RIBBON 
RE-
INTEGRATION PROGRAM FOR MEMBERS OF 
THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE. 
(a) DEADLINE
FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall establish the Yellow Ribbon Re-
integration Program for members of the National Guard 
and Reserve and their families required by section 582 of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2008 (Public Law 110–181; 122 Stat. 122; 10 U.S.C. 
10101 note) by not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
(b) REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAM.— 
(1) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Read-
iness shall submit to the Committee on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate and the Committee on Armed 
Services of the House of Representatives a report on 
the implementation of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegra-
tion Program. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A description and assessment of the 
implementation of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegra-
tion Program as of the date of the report. 
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(B) Such recommendations as the Under 
Secretary considers appropriate for legislative 
or administration action to improve the Yellow 
Ribbon Reintegration Program. 
(C) A description of any additional re-
sources required to assure the full implementa-
tion of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Pro-
gram. 
SEC. 3. JOINT PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall, acting through the Chief of the National 
Guard Bureau, carry out a program for the pur-
poses as follows: 
(A) To improve access to psychological 
health care and services for members of the Na-
tional Guard and their families. 
(B) To improve coordination among the 
components of the Department of Defense in 
the provision of psychological health care to 
members of the National Guard during their 
transition from active duty in the Armed Force 
to civilian life. 
(C) To coordinate and oversee efforts of 
the Department of Defense to assist members 
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of the National Guard with mental illness and 
members of the National Guard with Traumatic 
Brain Injury (TBI) post-deployment. 
(2) DESIGNATION OF PROGRAM.—The program 
under this section shall be known as the ‘‘Joint Psy-
chological Health Program’’ (in this section referred 
to as the ‘‘Program’’). 
(b) DIRECTORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out the Pro-
gram, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall 
assign within the National Guard Bureau two indi-
viduals to positions as follows: 
(A) Director of Psychological Health of the 
Army National Guard of the United States. 
(B) Director of Psychological Health of the 
Air National Guard of the United States. 
(2) 
QUALIFICATIONS.—Each 
individual 
as-
signed to a position under paragraph (1) shall have 
such qualifications and expertise as the Chief of the 
National Guard Bureau considers appropriate for 
such position. 
(3) DUTIES.—A Director of Psychological 
Health under paragraph (1) shall carry out such du-
ties with respect to the component of the National 
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Guard concerned as are provided by law or by the 
Chief of the National Guard Bureau. 
(c) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.— 
(1) STATE
NETWORKS
OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL 
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.—The Program shall con-
sist of a network of psychological health profes-
sionals in each State and Territory, the District of 
Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 
order to carry out programs and activities for the 
purposes of the Program. 
(2) DIRECTORS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each network of psy-
chological health professionals established pur-
suant to paragraph (1) for a State or Territory, 
the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico shall be overseen and coordi-
nated for the purposes of the Program by a Di-
rector who shall be selected by the Chief of the 
National Guard Bureau from among individuals 
who meet such psychology licensure or certifi-
cation requirements as the Chief of the Na-
tional Guard Bureau considers appropriate. 
(B) CONTRACT POSITION.—An individual 
selected to serve as a Director under paragraph 
(1) shall serve as a Director pursuant to a con-
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tract entered into by such individual for pur-
poses of the Program. 
(C) DUTIES.—Each Director under this 
paragraph shall have the duties as follows: 
(i) To coordinate and oversee pro-
grams and activities under the Program in 
the jurisdiction concerned. 
(ii) To work with applicable Federal, 
State, and community agencies to develop 
and implement a comprehensive plan for 
responding to the psychological needs of 
members of the National Guard and their 
families for the purposes of the Program. 
(iii) To develop, coordinate, and over-
see programs and activities to inform 
members of the National Guard and their 
families on how to access behavioral health 
services. 
(iv) To develop, coordinate, and over-
see programs and activities of education 
and training for leadership of the National 
Guard on matters relating to the psycho-
logical health of members of the National 
Guard. 
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(v) To develop, coordinate, and over-
see programs and activities to assist mem-
bers of the National Guard and their fami-
lies in building psychological fitness and 
resilience while dispelling the stigma asso-
ciated with seeking and obtaining mental 
health services. 
(vi) To develop, coordinate, and over-
see programs and activities to coordinate 
psychological care for members of the Na-
tional Guard during their transition from 
Warrior Transitions Units (WTUs) to 
their local communities. 
(vii) To improve access of members of 
the National Guard and their families to 
psychological care through coordination 
with appropriate State agencies and com-
munity-based behavioral health services 
providers. 
(viii) To develop and implement as-
sessments of the resource needs of commu-
nity-based behavior health service providers 
in order to provide members of the Na-
tional Guard and their families with the 
behavioral health services they require. 
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(ix) To coordinate with other psycho-
logical health components of and for the 
reserve components of the Armed Forces. 
(x) To coordinate and oversee imple-
mentation of other Department of Defense 
initiatives to ensure that members of the 
National Guard and their families are 
aware of an informed about the psycho-
logical health initiatives of the Department 
of Defense. 
(xi) To participate in national and re-
gional work groups developing programs 
and activities to address the psychological 
needs of members of the National Guard 
and their families. 
(xii) To conduct outreach to and edu-
cation for families of members of the Na-
tional Guard on recognition of mental 
health problems, including Post Traumatic 
Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental 
health problems, in members of the Na-
tional Guard. 
(3) NATIONAL GUARD PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH 
COUNCIL.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—The Chief of the Na-
tional Guard Bureau shall establish for the pur-
poses of the Program a council to be known as 
the ‘‘National Guard Psychological Health 
Council’’. 
(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the 
National Guard Psychological Health Council 
shall be the Directors of Psychological Health 
assigned under subsection (b) and the Directors 
of Psychological Health under paragraph (2). 
(C) ORGANIZATION.—The National Guard 
Psychological Health Council may carry out its 
duties on a national or regional basis as consid-
ered appropriate by the Council. 
(D) DUTIES.—The National Guard Psy-
chological Health Council shall have the fol-
lowing duties: 
(i) To oversee and coordinate the de-
velopment of the Program and any pro-
grams and activities to be carried out 
under the Program. 
(ii) To ensure consistency nationally 
in the programs and activities to be carried 
out under the Program. 
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(i) The Department of Veterans Af-
fairs. 
(ii) The Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration of the De-
partment of Health and Human Services. 
(iii) Appropriate State agencies, in-
cluding State mental health agencies and 
State veterans agencies. 
(d) TERRITORY DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘Territory’’ has the meaning given that term in section 
101(1) of title 32, United States Code. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Department 
of Defense for fiscal year 2009 for operation and mainte-
nance, $8,035,000, which shall be available for the Joint 
Psychological Health Program under this section in that 
fiscal year. 
SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAMS ON PRE-DEPLOYMENT AND POST- 
DEPLOYMENT TELEMENTAL HEALTH SERV-
ICES FOR 
MEMBERS 
OF 
THE 
NATIONAL 
GUARD AND RESERVE. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAMS REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 
carry out one or more pilot programs on the provi-
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sion of mental health services to members of the Na-
tional Guard and Reserve, both before and after de-
ployment, through telemental health technologies in 
order to assess the feasability and advisability of uti-
lizing of such technologies for the provision of men-
tal health services to member of the National Guard 
and Reserve both before and after deployment. 
(2) DISCHARGE WITH RESPECT TO NATIONAL 
GUARD.—Each pilot program carried out under this 
section with respect to members of the National 
Guard shall be carried out in consultation with the 
Chief of the National Guard Bureau. 
(3) COORDINATION.—The Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out 
the pilot programs in coordination with the Sub-
stance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis-
tration of the Department of Health and Human 
Services and such other departments and agencies of 
the Federal Government as the Secretaries consider 
appropriate to assure quality in the provision of 
mental health services to members of the National 
Guard and Reserve under the pilot programs. 
(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) LOCATIONS.— 
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(A) IN
GENERAL.—The pilot programs 
under this section shall be carried out in such 
location or locations as the Secretary of De-
fense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall jointly select. 
(B) EMPHASIS ON SERVICES TO MEMBERS 
IN
RURAL
AREAS.—In selecting locations for 
pilot programs, the Secretary of Defense and 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall afford 
an emphasis to locations in which services 
under the pilot programs are provided to mem-
bers of the National Guard and Reserve resid-
ing in a rural area. 
(2) UTILIZATION
OF
EVIDENCE-BASED
PRAC-
TICES.—Each pilot program under this section shall 
utilize telemental health technologies that have prov-
en effective in the provision of mental health services 
to members of the Armed Forces. 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall jointly submit to Congress a report on the 
pilot programs carried out under this section. 
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(2) ELEMENTS.—The report under paragraph 
(1) shall including a description of each pilot pro-
gram carried out under this section, including— 
(A) the types of mental health services pro-
vided; 
(B) the types of telemental health tech-
nologies utilized in providing such services; 
(C) the number of members of the Na-
tional Guard and Reserve provided such serv-
ices; and 
(D) the outcomes for members of the Na-
tional Guard and Reserve in receiving such 
services. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Department 
of Defense for fiscal year 2009 for operation and mainte-
nance, $2,005,000, to carry out pilot programs under this 
section in such fiscal year. 
SEC. 5. ANTI-STIGMA CAMPAIGN REGARDING MENTAL 
HEALTH SERVICES AMONG MEMBERS OF THE 
NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE RETURNING 
FROM DEPLOYMENT AND THEIR FAMILIES. 
(a) CAMPAIGN REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly 
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carry out a program of outreach intended to reduce 
the stigma among members of the National Guard 
and Reserve returning from deployment, and their 
families, associated with seeking and obtaining men-
tal health services. 
(2) DISCHARGE WITH RESPECT TO NATIONAL 
GUARD.—The campaign carried out under this sec-
tion with respect to members of the National Guard 
shall be carried out in consultation with the Chief of 
the National Guard Bureau. 
(3) COORDINATION.—The Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out 
the campaign in coordination with the Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of 
the Department of Health and Human Services. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—In carrying out the campaign re-
quired by this section, the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out such pro-
grams and activities (including the award of contracts, 
grants, and cooperative agreements with appropriate enti-
ties) as the Secretaries consider appropriate to reduce the 
stigma among members of the National Guard and Re-
serve returning from deployment, and their families, asso-
ciated with seeking and obtaining mental health services. 
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(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2009, 
$2,000,000, to carry out this section. 
SEC. 6. ASSIGNMENT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDI-
NATORS TO ASSIST MEMBERS OF THE NA-
TIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE RETURNING 
FROM DEPLOYMENT. 
As part of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program 
for members of the National Guard and Reserve and their 
families under section 582 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110– 
181; 122 Stat. 122; 10 U.S.C. 10101 note), the Secretary 
of Defense shall assign community outreach coordinators 
based out of the Office of Reintegration Program’s State 
Family Assistance Centers for the purpose of— 
(1) educating local school districts, religious or-
ganizations, business groups, and other community 
groups as necessary on military culture, the stresses 
of deployment, hardships on families and other such 
topics related to the deployment of members of the 
National Guard and Reserve and the reintegration 
of members returning from deployment; 
(2) conducting education programs through 
special events designed for specific target community 
groups, such as teachers, clergy, and employers; and 
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