Title: Guarding Mental Health Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Guarding Mental Health Act
This bill requires the U.S. Coast Guard to establish an interim behavioral health policy for its members that is equivalent to the behavioral health policy of the Department of Defense.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3637 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3637

 To require the Commandant of the Coast Guard to establish an interim 
 behavioral health policy for members of the Coast Guard that achieves 
parity with the behavioral health policy of the Department of Defense, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 10, 2022

Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Cassidy, and Mrs. Murray) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Commandant of the Coast Guard to establish an interim 
 behavioral health policy for members of the Coast Guard that achieves 
parity with the behavioral health policy of the Department of Defense, 
                        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 ``Guarding Mental Health Act''.

SEC. 2. COAST GUARD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POLICY.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) members of the Coast Guard--
                    (A) are exposed to high-risk, and often stressful, 
                duties; and
                    (B) should be encouraged to seek medical treatment 
                and professional guidance; and
            (2) after treatment for behavioral health conditions, many 
        members of the Coast Guard should be allowed to resume service 
        in the Coast Guard if--
                    (A) they are able to do so without persistent duty 
                modifications; and
                    (B) do not pose a risk to other members of the 
                Coast Guard.
    (b) Interim Behavioral Health Policy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Commandant of the Coast Guard 
        (referred to in this section as the ``Commandant'') shall 
        establish an interim behavioral health policy for members of 
        the Coast Guard that is in parity with section 5.28 (relating 
        to behavioral health) of Department of Defense Instruction 
        6130.03, volume 2, ``Medical Standards for Military Service: 
        Retention''.
            (2) Termination.--The interim policy established under 
        paragraph (1) shall remain in effect until the date on which 
        the Commandant issues a permanent behavioral health policy for 
        members of the Coast Guard.
    (c) Permanent Policy.--In developing a permanent policy with 
respect to retention and behavioral health, the Commandant shall ensure 
that the policy of the Coast Guard is in parity with section 5.28 
(relating to behavioral health) of Department of Defense Instruction 
6130.03, volume 2, ``Medical Standards for Military Service: 
Retention''.
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