S 579
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 579
To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary
of Defense to provide members of the Individual Ready Reserve, Individual
Mobilization Augmentees, and inactive members of the National Guard
who served in Afghanistan or Iraq with information on counseling to
prevent suicide, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 15, 2011
Mr. LAUTENBERG introduced the following bill; which was read twice
and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary
of Defense to provide members of the Individual Ready Reserve, Individual
Mobilization Augmentees, and inactive members of the National Guard
who served in Afghanistan or Iraq with information on counseling to
prevent suicide, 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 `Sergeant Coleman S. Bean Reserve Component
Suicide Prevention Act'.
SEC. 2. SUICIDE AMONG MEMBERS OF THE INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE AND
INDIVIDUAL MOBILIZATION AUGMENTEES.
(a) Finding- Congress finds that a veteran who is either a member of
the Individual Ready Reserve, an Individual Mobilization Augmentee,
or an inactive member of the National Guard and is not assigned to a
unit that musters regularly and has an established support structure
is less likely to be helped by existing suicide prevention programs
carried out by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.
(1) SUICIDE PREVENTION- Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code,
is amended by adding after section 1074l the following new section:
`Sec. 1074m. Suicide prevention for members of the Individual Ready
Reserve, individual mobilization augmentees, and inactive members of
the National Guard
`(a) In General- The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that each covered
member receives a telephone call described in subsection (b) not less
than once every 90 days during the period in which--
`(1) the covered member is a member of the Individual Ready Reserve;
`(2) the Secretary determines that the covered member is an individual
mobilization augmentee; or
`(3) the covered member is a member of the inactive National Guard.
`(b) Counseling Call- A telephone call described in this subsection
is a call from properly trained personnel to determine the emotional,
psychological, medical, and career needs and concerns of the covered
member.
`(c) Referral- (1) The personnel making a telephone call described in
subsection (b) shall refer a covered member identified as being at-risk
of self-caused harm to the nearest military medical treatment facility,
accredited TRICARE provider, or other private provider in accordance
with paragraph (3) for immediate evaluation and treatment by a qualified
mental health care provider.
`(2) If a covered member is referred under paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall confirm that the member has received the evaluation and any necessary
treatment.
`(3) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall refer a covered
member to a qualified private mental health care provider if the Secretary
determines that such private provider will ensure that such member will
receive treatment and assistance without delay.
`(d) Reports- Not later than January 31 of each year, beginning in 2013,
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on--
`(1) the number of covered members who have been referred for counseling
or mental health treatment under this section, as well as the health
and career status of such members; and
`(2) any resource, regulatory, or statutory issues that may be impeding
the counseling calls under this section from reaching all covered
members.
`(e) Covered Member Defined- In this section, the term `covered member'
means--
`(1) a member of the Individual Ready Reserve described in section
10144(b) of this title who has deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq in
support of a contingency operation on or after September 11, 2001;
`(2) a member of a reserve component who the Secretary determines
is an individual mobilization augmentee who has deployed to Afghanistan
or Iraq in support of a contingency operation on or after September
11, 2001; or
`(3) a member of the inactive National Guard who has deployed to Afghanistan
or Iraq in support of a contingency operation on or after September
11, 2001.'.
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
1074l the following new item:
`1074m. Suicide prevention for members of the Individual Ready Reserve,
individual mobilization augmentees, and inactive members of the National
Guard.'.
(c) GAO Report- The Comptroller General of the United States, in cooperation
with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report on
suicide among covered members (as defined in section 1074m(e) of title
10, United States Code, as added by subsection (b)), including how many
such members who have separated from service have committed suicide.
(d) Use of Peer Counseling- Consistent with the findings of the August
2010 report titled `The Final Report of the Department of Defense Task
Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces',
the Secretary of Defense shall develop, evaluate, and more widely disseminate
programs (including peer-to-peer counseling) that promote--
(1) connectedness between members of the Armed Forces and the family,
peers, and the immediate chain of command of the members; and
(2) suicide risk identification and response with particular emphasis
on members of the Reserve Components.
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