,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adci  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bf1     
#bjag,ms4 ,warren introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the   
,secretary of ,defense to include       
gambling disorder in health assessments 
for members of the ,armed ,forces and   
related research efforts of the         
,department of ,defense4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,preventing and ,treating ,gambling     
,disorder in the ,military ,act of      
#bjag4  #b4 ,findings ,congress makes   
the following findings3  7#a7 ,gambling 
disorder is a public health concern     
characterized by increasing             
preoccupation with gambling1 loss of    
control1 restlessness1 or irritability  
when attempting to stop gambling1 and   
continuation of the gambling behavior in
 spite of mounting serious1 negative    
consequences4  7#b7 ,gambling disorder  

is an addiction similar to substance-use
 disorders1 such as those associated    
with alcohol and drugs4  7#c7 ,gambling 
disorder is associated with a higher    
risk of suicide attempts1 substance-use 
disorders1 and other mental-health      
conditions1 in addition to being        
associated with financial and legal     
problems4  7#d7 ,according to the       
,national ,council on ,problem          
,gambling1 it is estimated that as many 
as #ef1jjj active duty members of the   
,armed ,forces meet criteria for        
gambling disorder4  7#e7 ,however1      
according to the ,department of         
,defense1 only about #abj military      
personnel were diagnosed with gambling  
disorder or were seen for problem       
gambling each year between fiscal year  
#bjaa and fiscal year #bjae4  7#f7 ,less
 than #aj percent of people with        
gambling problems seek help due to      
shame1 stigma1 and misunderstanding of  
the nature of gambling disorder4  7#g7  
,in addition to factors specified in    

paragraph 7#f71 military personnel might
 not seek help for gambling problems due
 to lack of services specific to problem
 gambling and fear of jeopardizing their
 career or security clearance4  7#h7    
,according to a #bjag report by the     
,government ,accountability ,office--   
7,a7 the ,department of ,defense        
operates more than #c1ajj slot machines 
at military installations overseas that 
are available to members of the ,armed  
,forces and their families2  7,b7 those 
slot machines generate approximately    
#ajj1jjj1jjj in revenue for the         
,department1 which is used for further  
recreational activities for members of  
the ,armed ,forces2  7,c7 the           
,department and the ,coast ,guard do not
 systematically screen for gambling     
disorder2 and  7,d7 the ,department and 
the ,coast ,guard do not address        
gambling disorder in a similar manner to
 other addictive disorders1 such as     
alcohol-related disorders4  #c4         
,inclusion of gambling disorder in      

health assessments and related research 
efforts of the ,department of ,defense  
7a7 ,annual ,periodic ,health           
,assessment ,the ,secretary of ,defense 
shall incorporate medical screening     
questions specific to gambling disorder 
into the ,annual ,periodic ,health      
,assessment 7,,dd ,form #cjbd7 conducted
 by the ,department of ,defense for     
members of the ,armed ,forces4  7b7     
,research efforts ,the ,secretary shall 
incorporate into ongoing research       
efforts of the ,department questions on 
gambling disorder1 as appropriate1      
including by restoring such questions   
into the ,health ,related ,behaviors    
,survey of ,active ,duty ,military      
,personnel4