Title: START Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Sexual Trauma Response and Treatment Act or the START Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Defense to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using intensive outpatient programs to treat members of the Armed Forces suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from military sexual trauma, including treatment for substance abuse, depression, and other issues related to such conditions.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5707 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5707

  To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to 
improve the treatment of members of the Armed Forces for post-traumatic 
          stress disorder relating to military sexual trauma.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2018

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to 
improve the treatment of members of the Armed Forces for post-traumatic 
          stress disorder relating to military sexual trauma.

    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 ``Sexual Trauma Response and Treatment 
Act'' or the ``START Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON TREATMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES FOR 
              POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER RELATED TO MILITARY SEXUAL 
              TRAUMA.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense may carry out a pilot 
program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using intensive 
outpatient programs to treat members of the Armed Forces suffering from 
post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from military sexual trauma, 
including treatment for substance abuse, depression, and other issues 
related to such conditions.
    (b) Discharge Through Partnerships.--The pilot program authorized 
by subsection (a) shall be carried out through partnerships with 
public, private, and non-profit health care organizations and 
institutions that--
            (1) provide health care to members of the Armed Forces;
            (2) provide evidence-based treatment for psychological and 
        neurological conditions that are common among members of the 
        Armed Forces, including post-traumatic stress disorder, 
        traumatic brain injury, substance abuse, and depression;
            (3) provide health care, support, and other benefits to 
        family members of members of the Armed Forces; and
            (4) provide health care under the TRICARE program (as that 
        term is defined in section 1072 of title 10, United States 
        Code).
    (c) Program Activities.--Each organization or institution that 
participates in a partnership under the pilot program authorized by 
subsection (a) shall--
            (1) carry out intensive outpatient programs of short 
        duration to treat members of the Armed Forces suffering from 
        post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from military sexual 
        trauma, including treatment for substance abuse, depression, 
        and other issues related to such conditions;
            (2) use evidence-based and evidence-informed treatment 
        strategies in carrying out such programs;
            (3) share clinical and outreach best practices with other 
        organizations and institutions participating in the pilot 
        program; and
            (4) annually assess outcomes for members of the Armed 
        Forces individually and among the organizations and 
        institutions participating in the pilot program with respect to 
        the treatment of conditions described in paragraph (1).
    (d) Evaluation Metrics.--Before commencement of the pilot program, 
the Secretary shall establish metrics to be used to evaluate the 
effectiveness of the pilot program and the activities under the pilot 
program.
    (e) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
        Representatives a report on the pilot program authorized by 
        subsection (a). The report shall include a description of the 
        pilot program and such other matters on the pilot program as 
        the Secretary considers appropriate.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        cessation of the pilot program under subsection (f), the 
        Secretary shall submit to the committees of Congress referred 
        to in paragraph (1) a report on the pilot program. The report 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) A description of the pilot program, including 
                the partnership under the pilot program as described in 
                subsection (b).
                    (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot 
                program and the activities under the pilot program.
                    (C) Such recommendations for legislative or 
                administrative action as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate in light of the pilot program, including 
                recommendations for extension or making permanent the 
                authority for the pilot program.
    (f) Termination.--The Secretary may not carry out the pilot program 
authorized by subsection (a) after the date that is three years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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