Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that, as the United States draws down combat operations in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense (DOD) should continue to seek to assist in the identification of behavior indicating a risk of suicide in members of the Armed Forces (members).
Directs the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using an online computerized assessment to assist DOD in detecting behaviors in members that indicate a risk of suicide or other mental health conditions. Requires: (1) 1,000 members of each regular component and 500 members of each reserve and National Guard component to be used in the pilot program, and (2) each participating member to complete two assessments. Requires the first superior officer of each participating member to also complete a computerized assessment on the behavior of that member as it relates to the risk of suicide or other mental health conditions.
Requires each member determined under the pilot program to have behavior indicating a risk of suicide or other mental health conditions to be referred to an appropriate mental health care provider for further assessment, care, and services.
Directs the Secretary to establish one or more control groups whose behavior permit comparison with the behavior and experiences of the participants.
Provides for the privacy of any medical or other information obtained under the pilot program. Prohibits information obtained from being used in determining the promotion or advancement of the member. Excludes the use of participant personally identifiable information in any required report.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 810 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 810
To require a pilot program on an online computerized assessment to
enhance detection of behaviors indicating a risk of suicide and other
mental health conditions in members of the Armed Forces, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 25, 2013
Mr. Donnelly introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a pilot program on an online computerized assessment to
enhance detection of behaviors indicating a risk of suicide and other
mental health conditions in members of the Armed Forces, 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 ``Jacob Sexton Military Suicide
Prevention Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON ONLINE COMPUTERIZED ASSESSMENT TO ENHANCE
DETECTION OF BEHAVIORS INDICATING A RISK OF SUICIDE AND
OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) According to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 30,137
members of the Armed Forces and veterans have committed suicide
since the Department of Defense began closely tracking these
incidents in 2009.
(2) In 2012 alone, approximately 349 members of the Armed
Forces, including the National Guard and Reserve, committed
suicide, which is more than the total number of members who
died in combat operations in 2012. This number does not include
the more than 6,000 veterans who committed suicide in 2012.
(3) During a March 21, 2013, hearing of the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives, Jacqueline
Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention
Office of the Department of Defense (DPSO), stated that
``[l]ess than half [of the suicide victims] had deployed, and
few were involved in combat''. This statement is consistent
with current research, which has shown other risk factors, such
as relationships, legal or financial issues and alcohol or drug
usage play a larger role than a member's deployment history.
Garrick also told the Committee that many of these suicidal
victims did not communicate their intent, nor did they have
known behavioral health histories.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, as the
United States draws down combat operations in Afghanistan, the
Department of Defense should continue to seek to identify tools to
assist in the identification of behavior indicating a risk suicide in
members of the Armed Forces.
(c) Pilot Program Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry
out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using
an online computerized assessment to assist the Department of Defense
in detecting behaviors in members of the Armed Force that indicate a
risk of suicide or other mental health conditions.
(d) Participating Members.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot
program using the following, as selected by the Secretary at random for
purposes of the pilot program:
(1) 1,000 members of the regular component of the Army.
(2) 1,000 members of the regular component of the Navy.
(3) 1,000 members of the regular component of the Air
Force.
(4) 1,000 members of the regular component of the Marine
Corps.
(5) 500 members of the Army Reserve.
(6) 500 members of the Army National Guard of the United
States.
(7) 500 members of the Navy Reserve.
(8) 500 members of the Air Force Reserve.
(9) 500 members of the Air National Guard of the United
States.
(10) 500 members of Marine Corps Reserve.
(e) Online Computerized Assessments.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out the pilot program, the
Secretary shall require each member of the Armed Forces
selected to participate in the pilot program to undertake two
online computerized assessments.
(2) Elements.--The assessments under this subsection shall
be designed to obtain such information on behaviors that
indicate a risk of suicide or other mental health conditions as
the Secretary shall include in the assessments for purposes of
the pilot program, including, but not limited to, work
performance, use and abuse of alcohol and other substances,
financial matters, and relationship and social matters.
(3) Timing.--The assessments under this subsection shall be
undertaken by a member at the same time the member undertakes
each of the first two annual periodic health assessments (PHAs)
in connection with service in the Armed Forces that are
required of the member by the Department after the selection of
the member for participation in the pilot program.
(f) Command Questionnaires.--
(1) In general.--At the same time a member of the Armed
Forces undertakes an online computerized assessment under
subsection (e), the member of the Armed Forces first superior
to such member in the chain of command shall undertake a
questionnaire on the behavior of such member, including, but
not limited to, behavior that indicates a risk of suicide or
other mental health conditions.
(2) Elements.--The questionnaires under this subsection
shall be designed to obtain information on the members covered
by the questionnaires so as to verify the accuracy of the
information provided by such members in undertaking assessments
under subsection (e).
(g) Referral.--As part of pilot program, the Secretary shall ensure
that any member of the Armed Forces determined to have behavior
indicating a risk of suicide or another mental health condition is
referred to an appropriate mental health care provider for further
assessment, care, and services in accordance with applicable
procedures.
(h) Control Groups.--In carrying out the pilot program, the
Secretary shall establish one or more control groups whose behavior and
experiences during the course of the pilot program permit comparison
with the behavior and experiences of members participating in the pilot
program. Each control group shall consist of such members of the Armed
Forces as the Secretary shall identify for purposes of the pilot
program.
(i) Privacy Matters.--
(1) In general.--The privacy of any medical or other
information obtained on members of the Armed Forces under this
section shall be protected in accordance with the laws on
privacy applicable to such information.
(2) Prohibition on certain uses.--No information obtained
on a member under this section may be used in determining the
promotion or advancement of the member or any other benefit for
which the member may be eligible.
(3) Exclusion of personally identifiable information from
reports.--No personally identifiable information on members may
be included in any report under subsection (j).
(j) Report.--
(1) Report required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date on which all the members of the Armed Forces participating
in the pilot program have completed both of the online
computerized assessments required by subsection (e) for
purposes of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the pilot
program.
(2) Elements.--The report under paragraph (1) shall include
the following:
(A) A description of the pilot program, including a
detailed description of the assessments used for
purposes of subsection (e) and the questionnaires used
for purposes of subsection (f).
(B) A summary of the various behaviors detected
through the assessments and questionnaires.
(C) A description of the number of members
identified as being at risk of suicide or other mental
health conditions, and an assessment of the correlation
between the risks identified and the various behaviors
detected.
(D) If care and services were provided to members
pursuant to subsection (g), a description of such care
and services and an assessment of the effectiveness of
such care and services.
(E) A description of the number of members
participating in the pilot program who committed
suicide.
(F) A description of the control groups established
pursuant to subsection (h), and a comparative analysis
of the behavior and experiences of members of such
control groups during the pilot program with the
behavior and experiences of members participating in
the pilot program, including on matters relating to
suicidal ideations, suicides attempted, and suicides
committed.
(G) A comparative analysis of the rate of suicide
among members participating in the pilot program,
members of the control groups established pursuant to
subsection (h), and the general population of each of
the Armed Forces.
(H) Such recommendations for extension or expansion
of the pilot program as the Secretary considers
appropriate in light of the pilot program, including
recommendations on the feasibility and advisability of
incorporating the online computerized assessments under
the pilot program in the online questionnaire of the
annual periodic health assessments (PHA) in connection
with service in the Armed Forces that are required by
the Department.
(k) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3031-3032)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
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