Daniel J. Harvey Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act
Bill: H.R.2778 | Sponsor: Rep. Gonzalez, Anthony (R-OH)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Daniel J. Harvey Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly implement a five-year pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing specified counseling and services as part of the Transition Assistance Program for members of the Armed Forces as a means of reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans.
Specifically, the pilot program would involve a three-hour counseling module and the provision of contact information for a counseling or similar facility in the locality where the veteran intends to reside. Additionally, the participating veterans must submit medical records in connection with their service in the Armed Forces, regardless of whether they intend to file a claim for benefits for a service-connected disability.
Under the program, a social worker or behavioral health coordinator from the VA must contact the veteran within 90 days after the member is discharged or released from service to schedule a follow-up appointment.
At least 10 DOD Transition Assistance Centers must be jointly selected to carry out the pilot program.

To require a pilot program on activities under the Transition 
 Assistance Program for a reduction in suicide among veterans, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Daniel J. Harvey Jr. and Adam 
Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ACTIVITIES UNDER THE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE 
              PROGRAM FOR A REDUCTION IN SUICIDE AMONG VETERANS.

    (a) Pilot Program Required.--The Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly carry out a pilot program 
to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing the module 
described in subsection (b) and the services described in subsection 
(c) as part of the Transition Assistance Program for members of the 
Armed Forces participating in the Transition Assistance Program as a 
means of reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans.
    (b) Module.--The module described in this subsection is a three-
hour module under the Transition Assistance Program for each member of 
the Armed Forces participating in the pilot program that includes the 
following:
            (1) An in-person meeting between the cohort of the member 
        and a social worker in which the social worker--
                    (A) counsels the cohort on specific potential risks 
                confronting members after discharge or release from the 
                Armed Forces, including loss of community or a support 
                system, isolation from family, friends, or society, 
                identity crisis in the transition from military to 
                civilian life, vulnerability viewed as a weakness, need 
                for empathy, self-medication and addiction, importance 
                of sleep and exercise, homelessness, and reasons why 
                veterans attempt and complete suicide;
                    (B) counsels members of the cohort who have been 
                diagnosed with physical, psychological, or neurological 
                issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, 
                traumatic brain injury, adverse childhood experiences, 
                depression, and bipolar disorder, on--
                            (i) the potential risks for such members 
                        from such issues after discharge or release; 
                        and
                            (ii) the resources and treatment options 
                        afforded to members for such issues through the 
                        Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department 
                        of Defense, and non-profit organizations;
                    (C) counsels the cohort about the resources 
                afforded to victims of military sexual trauma through 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
                    (D) counsels the cohort about the five stages of 
                grieving, the manner in which members might experience 
                grieving during the transition from military to 
                civilian life, and the resources afforded to them for 
                grieving through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) The provision to each cohort member of contact 
        information for a counseling or other appropriate facility of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs in the locality in which 
        such member intends to reside after discharge or release.
            (3) The submittal by cohort members to the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs (including both the Veterans Health 
        Administration and the Veterans Benefits Administration) of 
        their medical records in connection with service in the Armed 
        Forces, whether or not such members intend to file a claim with 
        the Department for benefits with respect to any service-
        connected disability.
    (c) Services.--The services described in this subsection in 
connection with the Transition Assistance Program for each member of 
the Armed Forces participating in the pilot program are the following:
            (1) Not later than 90 days after the discharge or release 
        of the member from the Armed Forces, a contact of the member by 
        a social worker or behavioral health coordinator from the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs to schedule a follow-up 
        appointment with a social worker or behavioral health provider 
        at the facility applicable to the member under subsection 
        (b)(2) to occur not later than 90 days after such contact.
            (2) During the appointment scheduled pursuant to paragraph 
        (1)--
                    (A) an assessment of the member to determine the 
                experiences of the member with events during service in 
                the Armed Forces that could lead, whether individually 
                or cumulatively, to physical, psychological, or 
                neurological issues, including issues described in 
                subsection (b)(1)(B); and
                    (B) the development of a medical treatment plan for 
                the member, including treatment for issues identified 
                pursuant to the assessment under subparagraph (A).
    (d) Locations.--
            (1) In general.--The pilot program shall be carried out at 
        not fewer than 10 Transition Assistance Centers of the 
        Department of Defense that serve not fewer than 300 members of 
        the Armed Forces annually that are jointly selected by the 
        Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
        purposes of the pilot program.
            (2) Members served.--The centers selected under paragraph 
        (1) shall, to the extent practicable, be centers that, whether 
        individually or in aggregate, serve all the Armed Forces and 
        both the regular and reserve components of the Armed Forces.
    (e) Selection and Commencement.--The Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly select the locations of the 
pilot program under subsection (d)(1) and commence carrying out 
activities under the pilot program by not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
    (f) Duration.--
            (1) In general.--The duration of the pilot program shall be 
        five years.
            (2) Continuation.--If the Secretary of Defense and the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs recommend in the report under 
        subsection (g) that the pilot program be extended beyond the 
        date otherwise provided by paragraph (1), the Secretaries may 
        jointly continue the pilot program for such period beyond such 
        date as the Secretaries jointly consider appropriate.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter during 
        the duration of the pilot program, the Secretary of Defense and 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to 
        Congress a report on the activities under the pilot program.
            (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A description of the members of the Armed 
                Forces who participated in the pilot program during the 
                180-day period ending on the date of such report, 
                broken out by the following:
                            (i) Sex.
                            (ii) Branch of the Armed Forces in which 
                        served.
                            (iii) Diagnosis of, or other symptoms 
                        consistent with, military sexual trauma, post-
                        traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain 
                        injury, depression, or bipolar disorder in 
                        connection with service in the Armed Forces.
                    (B) A description of the activities under the pilot 
                program during such period.
                    (C) An assessment of the benefits of the activities 
                under the pilot program during such period to veterans 
                and family members of veterans.
                    (D) An assessment whether the activities under the 
                pilot program as of the date of such report have 
                reduced the incidence of suicide among members who 
                participated in the pilot program within one year of 
                discharge or release from the Armed Forces.
                    (E) Such recommendations as the Secretary of 
                Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs jointly 
                consider appropriate regarding expansion of the pilot 
                program, extension of the pilot program, or both.
    (h) Transition Assistance Program Defined.--In this section, the 
term ``Transition Assistance Program'' means the program of assistance 
and other transitional services carried out pursuant to section 1144 of 
title 10, United States Code.
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