I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4305 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide an individual with a 
mental health assessment before the individual enlists in the Armed 
Forces or is commissioned as an officer in the Armed Forces. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2014 
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. ROE of 
Tennessee, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. KELLY of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. MARINO, Mr. JONES, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. BARLETTA, 
and Mr. MEADOWS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide an indi-
vidual with a mental health assessment before the indi-
vidual enlists in the Armed Forces or is commissioned 
as an officer in the Armed Forces. 
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 ‘‘Medical Evaluation 
Parity for Servicemembers Act of 2014’’ or the ‘‘MEPS 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) More focus needs to be put on mental 
health in America. 
(2) The large number of suicides among vet-
erans and members of the Armed Forces is unac-
ceptable, especially given that more members have 
died by suicide than in combat. 
(3) Many of those suicides in the military were 
members of the Armed Forces who never deployed. 
(4) Members of the Armed Forces, having been 
at war for more than a decade, have been put 
through acute physical and mental stress. 
(5) Many of the suicides in the Armed Forces 
can be prevented, and studies have found that im-
proved screening reduced later behavioral problems 
by 78 percent and reduced thoughts of suicide by 
more than half. 
(6) Although the military currently has a base-
line measurement process for physical health, the 
military does not currently have similar standards 
for mental health. 
(7) It is important that the military ensures 
that the members of the Armed Forces are both 
physically and mentally fit for all the missions the 
United States requires. 
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SEC. 3. PRELIMINARY MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 31 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 520d. Preliminary mental health assessments 
‘‘(a) PROVISION
OF
MENTAL
HEALTH
ASSESS-
MENT.—Before any individual enlists in an armed force 
or is commissioned as an officer in an armed force, the 
Secretary concerned shall provide the individual with a 
mental health assessment. The Secretary shall use such 
results as a baseline for any subsequent mental health ex-
aminations, including such examinations provided under 
sections 1074f and 1074m of this title. 
‘‘(b) USE OF ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary may not 
consider the results of a mental health assessment con-
ducted under subsection (a) in determining the assign-
ment or promotion of a member of the Armed Forces. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION OF PRIVACY LAWS.—With respect 
to applicable laws and regulations relating to the privacy 
of information, the Secretary shall treat a mental health 
assessment conducted under subsection (a) in the same 
manner as the medical records of a member of the Armed 
Forces.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
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after the item relating to section 520c the following new 
item: 
‘‘520d. Preliminary mental health assessments.’’. 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Na-
tional Institute of Mental Health of the National In-
stitutes of Health shall submit to Congress and the 
Secretary of Defense a report on preliminary mental 
health assessments of members of the Armed 
Forces. 
(2) MATTERS
INCLUDED.—The report under 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) Recommendations with respect to es-
tablishing a preliminary mental health assess-
ment of members of the Armed Forces to bring 
mental health screenings to parity with physical 
screenings of members. 
(B) Recommendations with respect to the 
composition of the mental health assessment, 
best practices, and how to track assessment 
changes relating to traumatic brain injuries, 
post-traumatic stress disorder, and other condi-
tions. 
(3) COORDINATION.—The National Institute of 
Mental Health shall carry out paragraph (1) in co-
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ordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, the surgeons general of the military de-
partments, and other relevant experts. 
Æ 
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