,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #adfc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #aj1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana 7for himself1  
,mr4 ,rangel1 ,mr4 ,hastings of         
,florida1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,ryan of
 ,ohio1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1
 ,mr4 ,takano1 and ,mr4 ,enyart7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title   
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 to improve  
the mental health assessments provided  
to members of the ,armed ,forces        
deployed in support of a contingency    
operation4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,military ,suicide  
,reduction ,act4  #b4 ,mental health    
assessments for members of the ,armed   
,forces deployed in support of a        
contingency operation  7a7 ,increased   
assessments ,subsection 7a7 of section  
#ajgdm of title #aj1 ,united ,states    
,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in paragraph  
7#a7--  7,a7 by redesignating           

subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c7 as          
subparagraphs 7,c7 and 7,d71            
respectively2 and  7,b7 by inserting    
after subparagraph 7,a7 the following   
new subparagraph 7,b73  7,b7 ,once      
during each #ahj-;day period in which   
the member is so deployed4  2 and  7#b7 
in paragraph 7#b71 by striking          
subparagraph 7,b7 and 7,c7 and inserting
 subparagraphs 7,c7 and 7,d74  7b7      
,deployment assessments by medical      
professionals ,subsection 7c7 of such   
section is amended--  7#a7 in paragraph 
7#a71 by striking ,the mental health and
 inserting ,except as provided by       
paragraph 7#c71 the mental health2 and  
7#b7 by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph3  7#c7 7,a7 ,if the       
,secretary determines that a mental     
health assessment conducted under       
subsection 7a77#a77;,b7 cannot be       
performed by an individual described in 
clause 7i7 or 7ii7 of paragraph         
7#a77;,a71 the ,secretary shall ensure  
that the mental health assessment is    

conducted using an ,internet-based      
questionnaire4  7,b7 ,after a member    
completes a questionnaire conducted     
under subparagraph 7,a71 the immediate  
commanding officer of the member shall  
complete a separate ,internet-based     
questionnaire regarding the observations
 of the commanding officer with respect 
to the mental health of the member4 ,the
 commanding officer may not have access 
to the questionnaire of the member      
conducted under subparagraph 7,a74  7,c7
 ,the ,secretary shall ensure that the  
questionnaires conducted under          
subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 to assess a 
member are combined and such combined   
document is reviewed and acted upon by  
personnel described in paragraph        
7#a77;,a7 in the same manner as an      
assessment conducted pursuant to        
subparagraph 7,a71 7,c71 or 7,d7 of     
subsection 7a77#a74  7,d7 ,nothing in   
this paragraph may be construed to treat
 a questionnaire conducted under        
subparagraph 7,a7 or subparagraph 7,b7  

as being exempt from ,department of     
,defense ,directive #fjbe4ah1 a         
successor directive1 or any other       
relevant regulation regarding privacy   
prescribed pursuant to the ,health      
,insurance ,portability and             
,accountability ,act of #aiif 7,public  
,law #ajd-aia74  4  7c7 ,uniform        
standards assessments ,such section is  
amended--  7#a7 in subsection           
7c77#a77;,d71 by striking consistent and
 inserting uniform2 and  7#b7 in        
subsection 7f77#a71 by adding at the end
 the following new sentence3 ,such      
regulations shall ensure that this      
section is carried out in a uniform     
manner among the military departments44 
7d7 ,conforming amendment ,subsection   
7d7 of such section is amended by       
striking subsection 7a77#a77;,c7 and    
inserting subsection 7a77#a77;,d74