,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfcg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #aj1 
#bjbb ,ms4 ,murkowski 7for herself1 ,mr4
 ,sullivan1 ,mr4 ,cassidy1 and ,mrs4    
,murray7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to require 
the ,commandant of the ,coast ,guard to 
establish an interim behavioral health  
policy for members of the ,coast ,guard 
that achieves parity with the behavioral
 health policy of the ,department of    
,defense1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,guarding ,mental ,health ,act4  #b4
 ,coast ,guard behavioral health policy 
7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense
 of ,congress that--  7#a7 members of   
the ,coast ,guard-- 7,a7 are exposed to 
high-risk1 and often stressful1 duties2 
and  7,b7 should be encouraged to seek  
medical treatment and professional      
guidance2 and  7#b7 after treatment for 

behavioral health conditions1 many      
members of the ,coast ,guard should be  
allowed to resume service in the ,coast 
,guard if--  7,a7 they are able to do so
 without persistent duty modifications2 
and  7,b7 do not pose a risk to other   
members of the ,coast ,guard4  7b7      
,interim behavioral health policy  7#a7 
,in general ,not later than #fj days    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,commandant of the ,coast     
,guard 7referred to in this section as  
the ,commandant7 shall establish an     
interim behavioral health policy for    
members of the ,coast ,guard that is in 
parity with section #e4bh 7relating to  
behavioral health7 of ,department of    
,defense ,instruction #facj4jc1 volume  
#b1 ,medical ,standards for ,military   
,service3 ,retention4  7#b7 ,termination
 ,the interim policy established under  
paragraph 7#a7 shall remain in effect   
until the date on which the ,commandant 
issues a permanent behavioral health    
policy for members of the ,coast ,guard4

  7c7 ,permanent policy ,in developing a
 permanent policy with respect to       
retention and behavioral health1 the    
,commandant shall ensure that the policy
 of the ,coast ,guard is in parity with 
section #e4bh 7relating to behavioral   
health7 of ,department of ,defense      
,instruction #facj4jc1 volume #b1       
,medical ,standards for ,military       
,service3 ,retention4