,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bbca  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #i1     
#bjad ,mr4 ,portman 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,rockefeller7 introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title   
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 to provide  
an individual with a mental health      
assessment before the individual enlists
 in the ,armed ,forces or is            
commissioned as an officer in the ,armed
 ,forces1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,medical ,evaluation ,parity for   
,servicemembers ,act of #bjad or the    
,,meps ,act4  #b4  ,preliminary mental  
health assessments for individuals      
becoming members of the ,armed ,forces  
7a7  ,in general  ,chapter #ca of title 
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by adding at the end the following new  
section3  #ebj;d4  ,preliminary mental  
health assessments  7a7  ,provision of  

mental health assessment  ,before any   
individual enlists in an armed force or 
is commissioned as an officer in an     
armed force1 the ,secretary concerned   
shall provide the individual with a     
mental health assessment4 ,the          
,secretary shall use such results as a  
baseline for any subsequent mental      
health examinations1 including such     
examinations provided under sections    
#ajgd;f and #ajgdm of this title4  7b7  
,use of assessment  ,the ,secretary may 
not consider the results of a mental    
health assessment conducted under       
subsection 7a7 in determining the       
assignment or promotion of a member of  
the armed forces4  7c7  ,application of 
privacy laws  ,with respect to          
applicable laws and regulations relating
 to the privacy of information1 the     
,secretary shall treat a mental health  
assessment conducted under subsection   
7a7 in the same manner as the medical   
records of a member of the armed forces4
  4  7b7  ,clerical amendment  ,the     

table of sections at the beginning of   
such chapter is amended by adding after 
the item relating to section #ebj;c the 
following new item3  #ebj;d4            
,preliminary mental health assessments4 
4  7c7  ,report  7#a7  ,in general  ,not
 later than #ahj days after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,national ,institute of ,mental ,health 
of the ,national ,institutes of ,health 
shall submit to ,congress and the       
,secretary of ,defense a report on      
preliminary mental health assessments of
 members of the ,armed ,forces4  7#b7   
,matters included  ,the report under    
paragraph 7#a7 shall include the        
following3  7,a7 ,recommendations with  
respect to establishing a preliminary   
mental health assessment of members of  
the ,armed ,forces to bring mental      
health screenings to parity with        
physical screenings of members4  7,b7   
,recommendations with respect to the    
composition of the mental health        
assessment1 best practices1 and how to  

track assessment changes relating to    
traumatic brain injuries1 post-traumatic
 stress disorder1 and other conditions4 
7#c7  ,coordination  ,the ,national     
,institute of ,mental ,health shall     
carry out paragraph 7#a7 in coordination
 with the ,secretary of ,veterans       
,affairs1 the ,secretary of ,health and 
,human ,services1 the ,director of the  
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention1 the surgeons general of the
 military departments1 and other        
relevant experts4  #c4 ,physical        
examinations and mental health          
screenings for certain members          
undergoing separation from the ,armed   
,forces who are not otherwise eligible  
for such examinations  7a7 ,in general  
,the ,secretary of the military         
department concerned shall provide a    
comprehensive physical examination      
7including a screening for ,traumatic   
,brain ,injury7 and a mental health     
screening to each member of the ,armed  
,forces who1 after a period of active   

duty of more than #ahj days1 is         
undergoing separation from the ,armed   
,forces and is not otherwise provided   
such an examination or screening in     
connection with such separation from the
 ,department of ,defense or the         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7b7 
,no right to health care benefits ,the  
provision of a physical examination or  
mental health screening to a member     
under subsection 7a7 shall not1 by      
itself1 be used to determine the        
eligibility of the member for any health
 care benefits from the ,department of  
,defense or the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs4  7c7 ,funding ,funds for the 
provision of physical examinations and  
mental health screenings under this     
section shall be derived from funds     
otherwise authorized to be appropriated 
for the military department concerned   
for the provision of health care to     
members of the ,armed ,forces4  #d4     
,report on capacity of ,department of   
,defense to provide electronic copy of  

member service treatment records to     
members separating from the ,armed      
,forces  7a7 ,report required ,not later
 than six months after the date of the  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,defense shall submit to ,congress a 
report setting forth an assessment of   
the capacity of the ,department of      
,defense to provide each member of the  
,armed ,forces who is undergoing        
separation from the ,armed ,forces an   
electronic copy of the member's service 
treatment record at the time of         
separation4  7b7 ,matters relating to   
the ,national ,guard ,the assessment    
under subsection 7a7 with regards to    
members of the ,national ,guard shall   
include an assessment of the capacity of
 the ,department to ensure that the     
electronic copy of a member's service   
treatment record includes health records
 maintained by each ,state or territory 
in which the member served4