,,ii  #aaf? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,s4 #chji  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,may #ba1 #bjbj,mr4    
,blum5?al 7= himself & ,mr4 ,ka9e7      
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read     
twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,arm$ 
,s]vices  ,a ,,bill  ,to require !      
,comptroll] ,g5]al ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates to 
conduct a /udy on pr5atal & po/p>tum    
m5tal heal? conditions among memb]s ( ! 
,arm$ ,=ces & _! dep5d5ts4  #a4 ,%ort   
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,milit>y
 ,moms' ,m5tal ,heal? ,assessm5t ,act4  
#b4 ,comptroll] ,g5]al /udy on pr5atal &
 po/p>tum m5tal heal? conditions among  
memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces & _! dep5d5ts    
7a7 ,f9d+s ,congress makes ! foll[+     
f9d+s3 7#a7 ,9 #bjah1 #eb1ece memb]s ( !
 ,arm$ ,=ces & _! dep5d5ts gave bir? at 
milit>y m$ical treatm5t facilities or   
civilian hospitals :]e ! ,dep>tm5t (    
,def5se pur*as$ c>e4  7#b7 ,memb]s ( !  
,arm$ ,=ces & milit>y sp\ses (t5 give   
bir? alone due to deploym5ts or tra9+   
ex]cises t prev5t _! bir?+ p>tn] f be+  

pres5t dur+ *ildbir?4  7#c7 ,memb]s ( ! 
milit>y community are sometimes uniquely
 isolat$ f _! support networks due to   
frequ5t p]man5t *anges ( /ation or dur+ 
deploym5ts4  7#d7 ,social isolation &   
frequ5t moves c impact m5tal heal?      
outcomes ( pregnant memb]s ( ! ,arm$    
,=ces or milit>y sp\ses1 :ile also      
int]rupt+ ! cont9uity ( m5tal heal? c>e 
or o!r m$ical c>e4  7#e7 ,"s /udies h   
conclud$ t wom5 ) deploy$ sp\ses %[ high
 /ress levels & increas$ risk = pr5atal 
& po/p>tum mood disord]s1 includ+       
depression1 :i* may expla9 adv]se bir?  
outcomes4  7#f7 ,accord+ to ! ,am]ican  
,college ( ,ob/etricians &              
,gynecologi/s1 deploym5t /atus is       
/rongly associat$ ) an increas$ risk (  
depression dur+ pregnancy & ! po/p>tum  
p]iod4  7#g7 ,! ,dep>tm5t ( ,def5se     
det]m9$ t pregnant memb]s ( ! ,arm$     
,=ces & vet]ans m commonly exp]i5ce     
m5tal heal? issues ?an nonpregnant      
memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces & vet]ans &      
pregnant wom5 9 ! g5]al population4     

7#h7 ,"s /udies h indicat$ t m9ority    
wom5 9 ! civilian community are m likely
 to exp]i5ce pr5atal & po/p>tum mood    
disord]s1 b t m9ority wom5 are less     
likely to seek or receive treatm5t1 &   
!re are tr\bl+ racial & e?nic disp>ities
 9 ! initiation & cont9uation ( pr5atal 
& po/p>tum m5tal heal? c>e4  7#i7       
,despite "s /udies reg>d+ pr5atal c>e1  
po/p>tum heal?1 & social support dur+   
pregnancy & *ild bir? among ! milit>y   
community1 ^? /udies h be5 limit$ 9     
scope1 & !re is little rese>* relat$ to 
pr5atal & po/p>tum m5tal heal?          
conditions & m5tal heal? c>e among      
milit>y sp\ses & active duty memb]s ( ! 
,arm$ ,=ces to support policy re=ms4    
7#aj7 ,memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces & milit>y 
sp\ses might refra9 f seek+ m5tal heal? 
c>e due to /igma & fe> ( pot5tial       
rep]cussions on employm5t or c>e]       
progression4  7b7 ,s5se ( ,congress ,x  
is ! s5se ( ,congress t-- 7#a7 memb]s ( 
! milit>y community1 includ+ memb]s ( ! 
,arm$ ,=ces & milit>y sp\ses1 are       

vuln]able to pr5atal & po/p>tum m5tal   
heal? conditions giv5 ! unique *all5ges 
^? individuals face due to frequ5t      
deploym5ts & p]man5t *anges ( /ation2   
7#b7 additional /udies & rese>* reg>d+  
pr5atal & po/p>tum m5tal heal?          
conditions among memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces 
& milit>y sp\ses are necess>y to id5tify
 gaps 91 & b>ri]s to1 m5tal heal? c>e   
provid$ to b5efici>ies "u ! ,,tric>e    
program1 includ+ an assessm5t ( issues  
su* z /igma1 negative c>e] impact1 &    
discrim9ation or retaliation aga9/      
memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces & milit>y sp\ses2
  7#c7 additional /udies & rese>* are   
necess>y to det]m9e :e!r m9ority wom5 9 
! ,arm$ ,=ces & m9ority milit>y sp\ses--
 7,a7 exp]i5ce pr5atal & po/p>tum mood  
disord]s at a high] rate2  7,b7 are m   
likely to exp]i5ce racial & e?nic       
disp>ities 9 heal? c>e access2 or  7,c7 
are less likely to initiate or cont9ue  
pr5atal or po/p>tum m5tal heal? c>e2 &  
7#d7 m in=mation w enable ! ,dep>tm5t ( 
,def5se to bett] address ! pr5atal &    

po/p>tum m5tal heal? ne$s ( memb]s ( !  
,arm$ ,=ces & milit>y sp\ses4  7c7 ,/udy
  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,comptroll] ,g5]al ( 
! ,unit$ ,/ates %all conduct a /udy on  
pr5atal & po/p>tum m5tal heal?          
conditions among memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces 
& dep5d5ts ( su* memb]s4  7#b7 ,elem5ts 
,! /udy requir$ "u p>agraph 7#a7 %all   
include ! foll[+3 7,a7 ,an assessm5t ( !
 ext5t to :i* b5efici>ies "u ! ,,tric>e 
program1 includ+ memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces 
& dep5d5ts ( su* memb]s1 are diagnos$ ) 
pr5atal or po/p>tum m5tal heal?         
conditions1 includ+-- 7i7 pr5atal or    
po/p>tum depression2  7ii7 pr5atal or   
po/p>tum anxiety disord]2  7iii7 pr5atal
 or po/p>tum obsessive compulsive       
disord]2  7iv7 pr5atal or po/p>tum      
psy*osis2 &  7v7 o!r relevant mood      
disord]s4  7,b7 ,a demographic assessm5t
 ( ! population includ$ 9 ! /udy )      
respect to race1 e?nicity1 sex1 age1    
relation%ip /atus1 milit>y s]vice1      
milit>y occupation1 & rank1 :]e         
applicable4  7,c7 ,an assessm5t ( !     

/atus ( pr5atal & po/p>tum m5tal heal?  
c>e = b5efici>ies "u ! ,,tric>e program1
 includ+ ^? :o seek c>e at milit>y      
m$ical treatm5t facilities & ^? :o rely 
on civilian provid]s4  7,d7 ,an         
assessm5t ( ! ease or delay =           
b5efici>ies "u ! ,,tric>e program 9     
obta9+ treatm5t = pr5atal & po/p>tum    
m5tal heal? conditions1 includ+-- 7i7 an
 assessm5t ( wait times = m5tal heal?   
treatm5t at ea* milit>y m$ical treatm5t 
facility2 &  7ii7 a description ( !     
reasons su* b5efici>ies may cease seek+ 
su* treatm5t4  7,e7 ,a comp>ison ( !    
rates ( pr5atal or po/p>tum m5tal heal? 
conditions )9 ! milit>y community to su*
 rates 9 ! civilian population1 z       
report$ by ! ,c5t]s = ,disease ,control 
& ,prev5tion4  7,f7 ,an assessm5t ( any 
effects ( implicit or explicit bias 9   
pr5atal & po/p>tum m5tal heal? c>e "u ! 
,,tric>e program1 or evid5ce ( racial or
 socioeconomic b>ri]s to su* c>e4  7#c7 
,report ,n lat] ?an "o ye> aft] ! date (
 ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 ! ,comptroll]   

,g5]al %all submit to ! congressional   
def5se committees a report on ! f9d+s ( 
! /udy conduct$ "u p>agraph 7#a71       
includ+-- 7,a7 recomm5dations = actions 
to be tak5 by ! ,secret>y ( ,def5se to  
improve pr5atal & po/p>tum m5tal heal?  
among memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces & dep5d5ts 
( su* memb]s2 &  7,b7 su* o!r           
recomm5dations z ! ,comptroll] ,g5]al   
det]m9es appropriate4  7d7 ,def9itions  
,9 ?is section3 7#a7 ,congressional     
def5se committees ,! t]m congressional  
def5se committees has ! mean+ giv5 t t]m
 9 section #aja7;a77#af7 ( title #aj1   
,unit$ ,/ates ,code4  7#b7 ,dep5d5t2    
,,tric>e program ,! t]ms dep5d5t &      
,,tric>e program h ! mean+s giv5 ^? t]ms
 9 section #ajgb ( su* title4