I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2931 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to adopt a program of professional and 
confidential screenings for members of the armed forces on active duty 
to detect mental health conditions for the purpose of reducing the inci-
dence of suicide among such members and veterans, and to detect trau-
matic brain injuries, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 17, 2009 
Mr. TEAGUE (for himself and Mr. MURPHY of New York) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and 
in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to adopt a program 
of professional and confidential screenings for members 
of the armed forces on active duty to detect mental 
health conditions for the purpose of reducing the inci-
dence of suicide among such members and veterans, and 
to detect traumatic brain injuries, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Kyle Barthel Veterans 
and Service Members Mental Health Screening Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MANDATORY CONFIDENTIAL SCREENINGS FOR SUI-
CIDE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
ensure that each member of the armed forces on active 
duty (referred to in this Act as ‘‘member’’) is screened 
for mental health conditions by a licensed mental health 
professional for the purpose of reducing the prevalence of 
suicide among such service members, future veterans, and 
veterans. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR SCREENINGS.— 
(1) MANDATORY.—Each member shall be re-
quired to participate in screenings under subsection 
(a) shall be mandatory. 
(2) CONFIDENTIAL.—With 
respect 
to 
the 
screenings conducted under this section, the Sec-
retary shall ensure compliance with all applicable 
laws and regulations relating to the confidentiality of 
the health care information generated through such 
screenings. 
(3) IN PERSON SCREENING REQUIRED.—The li-
censed mental health professional conducting the 
screening under subsection (a) must be in the phys-
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ical presence of the member at the time the screen-
ing for such member is conducted. 
(4) STANDARDS.—The screenings under sub-
section (a) shall conform to a set of standards devel-
oped by the Secretary of Defense, in consultation 
with the National Institute for Mental Health, for 
the purpose of identifying suicide and substance 
abuse risk factors. 
(c) TIMING
OF SCREENINGS.—With respect to a 
member, the screenings under subsection (a) shall be con-
ducted— 
(1) within 30 days of such member’s induction 
to active duty service; 
(2) as a component of each required physical 
exam; 
(3) one time during the 30-day period ending 
on the date such member is deployed to in support 
of a contingency operation (as defined in section 
101(13) of title 10, United States Code); 
(4) one time during the 30-day period ending 
on the date that such deployment is scheduled to 
end; 
(5) one time during the 90-day period following 
the date under paragraph (4); and 
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(6) one time during the 90-day period following 
the period in paragraph (5). 
(d) PROTECTION FROM ADVERSE TREATMENT.—For 
the purpose of encouraging members to provide complete 
information during the screenings under subsection (a) 
and to discourage members from stigmatizing participa-
tion in treatment for depression and other mental health 
problems, the Secretary of Defense shall not use the re-
sults of a screening under subsection (a) to— 
(1) prohibit a member from returning to the 
United States; 
(2) prohibit a member from being discharged 
from the armed forces; or 
(3) to involuntary discharge a member from the 
armed forces. 
(e) DEFENSE STUDY AND REPORT.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
conduct a study— 
(A) to collect data on— 
(i) the number of licensed mental 
health providers who are employed by the 
Secretary; 
(ii) the number of members that each 
such provider is expected to screen and 
treat; 
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(iii) the expected retirement dates of 
such providers; 
(iv) the geographic location of such 
providers; and 
(v) the ability of members to access 
screening and treatment services offered by 
such providers; and 
(B) to evaluate whether redistributing such 
providers geographically, assigning different 
tasks to such providers, and hiring additional 
such providers would assist the Secretary in 
providing adequate mental health screening and 
treatment to members (including the mental 
health screenings required by this Act). 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
of Defense shall submit to the Congress a report on 
the results of the study conducted under paragraph 
(1). 
(f) DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall conduct a study— 
(A) to collect data on— 
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(i) the number of licensed mental 
health providers who are employed by the 
Secretary; 
(ii) the number of veterans that each 
provider is expected to screen and treat; 
(iii) the expected retirement dates of 
such providers; 
(iv) the geographic location of such 
providers; and 
(v) the ability of veterans to access 
screening and treatment services offered by 
such providers; 
(B) to evaluate whether redistributing such 
providers geographically, assigning different 
tasks to such providers, and hiring additional 
such providers would assist the Secretary in 
providing adequate mental health treatment 
and screening services to veterans; and 
(C) to determine the projected cost of hir-
ing and retaining licensed mental health pro-
viders to be placed in each veteran hospital, 
community-based outpatient clinic, and facility 
operates under a contract to provide clinical 
services on behalf of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
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(2) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Congress a 
report on the results of the study conducted under 
paragraph (1). 
SEC. 3. MANDATORY TBI SCREENINGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall re-
quire that each member on active duty is screened for a 
traumatic brain injury by a licensed professional who is 
qualified to conduct such screening. 
(b) TIMING OF SCREENINGS.—With respect to a serv-
ice member, the screenings under subsection (a) shall be 
conducted— 
(1) as a component of each required physical 
exam; 
(2) one time during the 30-day period begin-
ning on the date such member is deployed such 
member is deployed to in support of a contingency 
operation (as defined in section 101(13) of title 10, 
United States Code); 
(3) one time during the 30-day period ending 
on the date on which such deployment is scheduled 
to end for such member; and 
(4) one time during the 90-day period following 
the date under paragraph (3). 
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SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND DEPARTMENT OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS INFORMATION SHARING. 
Pursuant to and consistent with requirements of the 
Wounded Warrior Act (title XVI of Public Law 110–181) 
(including the requirements of section 1614 of that Act) 
and section 1720F of title 38, United States Code, the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall establish a joint protocol to share existing and 
future reports concerning screenings conducted under this 
Act to help aid members and veterans who are 
transitioning from receiving health care and treatment 
through Department of Defense to receiving such care and 
services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Æ 
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