Title: Warrior Wellness Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Warrior Wellness Act
This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress on (1) the shortage of mental health providers within DOD, (2) a plan for recruiting and retaining mental health professionals, (3) a plan to reduce the improper prescribing of medications for post-traumatic stress disorders within DOD and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities, and (4) a plan for a program to monitor DOD and VHA medication prescription practices.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6712 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6712

To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to recruit and 
   retain mental health providers, to direct the Secretaries of the 
military departments to develop medication monitoring programs, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 5, 2018

  Mr. Smucker (for himself and Mr. Carbajal) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to recruit and 
   retain mental health providers, to direct the Secretaries of the 
military departments to develop medication monitoring programs, 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 ``Warrior Wellness Act''.

SEC. 2. STRATEGY TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees (as defined in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States 
Code) a report that--
            (1) describes the shortage of mental health providers of 
        the Department of Defense;
            (2) explains the reasons for such shortage;
            (3) explains the effect of such shortage on members of the 
        Armed Forces; and
            (4) contains a strategy to better recruit and retain mental 
        health providers, including with respect to psychiatrists, 
        psychologists, mental health nurse practitioners, licensed 
        social workers, and other licensed providers of the military 
        health system.

SEC. 3. MONITORING MEDICATION PRESCRIBING PRACTICES FOR THE TREATMENT 
              OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

    (a) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to 
        the Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
        Representatives and Senate a report on the practices for 
        prescribing medication during the period beginning January 1, 
        2012, and ending December 31, 2017, that were inconsistent with 
        the post-traumatic stress disorder medication guidelines 
        developed by the Department of Defense and the Veterans Health 
        Administration.
            (2) Contents.--The report under this subsection shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A summary of the Army's, the Navy's, and the 
                Air Force's practices for prescribing medication during 
                the period referred to in paragraph (1) that were 
                inconsistent with the post-traumatic stress disorder 
                medication guidelines developed by the Department of 
                Defense and the Veterans Health Administration.
                    (B) Identification of medical centers serving 
                members of the Armed Forces found to having higher than 
                average incidences of prescribing medication during the 
                period referred to in paragraph (1) that were 
                inconsistent with the post-traumatic stress disorder 
                guidelines.
                    (C) A plan for such medical centers to reduce the 
                prescribing of medications that are inconsistent with 
                the post-traumatic stress disorder guidelines.
                    (D) A plan for ongoing monitoring of medical 
                centers found to have higher than average incidences of 
                prescribing medication that were inconsistent with the 
                post-traumatic stress disorder guidelines by the 
                Department of Defense and the Veterans Health 
                Administration.
    (b) Monitoring Program.--Based on the findings of the report under 
subsection (a), the Secretaries of the Army, the Navy, and the Air 
Force shall each establish a monitoring program carried out with 
respect to such branch of the Armed Forces that shall provide as 
follows:
            (1) The monitoring program shall provide for the conduct of 
        periodic reviews, beginning October 1, 2019, of medication 
        prescribing practices of its own providers.
            (2) The monitoring program shall provide for regular 
        reports, beginning October 1, 2020, to the Department of 
        Defense and the Veterans Health Administration, of the results 
        of the periodic reviews pursuant to paragraph (1) of this 
        subsection.
            (3) The monitoring program shall establish internal 
        procedures, not later than October 1, 2020, to address 
        practices for prescribing medication that are inconsistent with 
        the post-traumatic stress disorder medication guidelines 
        developed by the Department of Defense and the Veterans Health 
        Administration.
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