A bill to ensure proper administration of the discharge of members of the Armed Forces for personality disorder, and for other purposes.

Prohibits the Secretary of a military department from discharging due to a personality disorder a member of the Armed Forces who has served on active duty in a combat zone until the later of the date of: (1) completion by the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) of a review of Department of Defense (DOD) policies and procedures for diagnosing such a disorder; (2) issuance by the Secretary of policies and procedures to ensure the appropriate use of such a discharge; (3) establishment by the Secretary of an independent review board for personality disorder discharges; (4) submittal by the Secretary of a report to Congress on progress in implementing the requirements under (1) through (3), above; or (5) the date that is 45 days after the date of the submission of the report referred to in (4), which period shall permit Congress to consider the report.

Provides an exception to such requirement in the case of a member who, during recruitment for or enlistment in the Armed Forces, provided false or misleading information, or omitted providing information about past criminal behavior, that is material to a discharge for personality disorder.

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1817 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1817

  To ensure proper administration of the discharge of members of the 
     Armed Forces for personality disorder, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 19, 2007

  Mr. Obama (for himself, Mr. Bond, Mrs. McCaskill, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. 
  Murray, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Whitehouse) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To ensure proper administration of the discharge of members of the 
     Armed Forces for personality disorder, 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. DISCHARGE OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES FOR PERSONALITY 
              DISORDER.

    (a) Temporary Moratorium on Discharges.--Effective as of the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of a military department 
may not, except as provided in subsection (b), discharge from the Armed 
Forces for personality disorder any member of the Armed Forces 
(including a member of the National Guard or Reserve) who has served on 
active duty in a combat zone until the later of the dates as follows:
            (1) The date of the completion by the Secretary of Defense 
        of a review of the policies and procedures of the Department of 
        Defense for diagnosing a personality disorder in members of the 
        Armed Forces.
            (2) The date of the issuance by the Secretary of Defense of 
        policies and procedures to ensure the appropriate use of 
        discharge of members of the Armed Forces for personality 
        disorder, which discharges shall be based on standard clinical 
        diagnostic practices, including the practices outlined in the 
        most recent edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for 
        Mental Disorders.
            (3) The date of the establishment by the Secretary of 
        Defense of an independent review board for discharges of 
        members of the Armed Forces for personality discharge, 
        including for members so discharged on or after September 12, 
        2001, and before the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (4) The date of the submittal by the Secretary of Defense 
        of a report to Congress on the progress in implementing the 
        requirements of paragraphs (1) through (3).
            (5) The date that is 45 days after the date of the 
        submittal of the report referred to in paragraph (4), which 
        period shall permit Congress to consider the report.
    (b) Exception.--The limitation in subsection (a) shall not apply 
with respect to any member of the Armed Forces who provided false or 
misleading information, or omitted providing information about past 
criminal behavior, that is material to a discharge for personality 
disorder during recruitment for or enlistment in the Armed Forces.
                                 <all>