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S 2231 113th Congress Senate Armed Forces and National Security Congressional oversight Health information and medical records Medical tests and diagnostic methods Mental health Military medicine Military personnel and dependents National Guard and reserves Neurological disorders Right of privacy

MEPS Act

Introduced: April 9, 2014 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 9, 2014
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Apr 9, 2014
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Medical Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers Act of 2014 or the MEPS Act - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to: (1) provide an individual with a mental health assessment before such individual enlists, or is commissioned as an officer, in the Armed Forces; and (2) use assessment results as a baseline for any subsequent mental health examination. Prohibits such Secretary from considering the results of such assessment in determining the assignment or promotion of a member of the Armed Forces.

Requires the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to submit to Congress and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) a report on preliminary mental health assessments of members, including recommendations regarding: (1) establishing such an assessment to bring mental health screenings to parity with physical screenings of members; and (2) the composition of the assessment, best practices, and how to track assessment changes relating to traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions.

Requires the Secretary concerned to provide a comprehensive physical examination and a mental health screening to each member who, after a period of active duty of more than 180 days, is undergoing separation from the Armed Forces and is not otherwise provided such examination or screening in connection with such separation from either DOD or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Directs the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress an assessment of DOD's capacity to provide each member who is undergoing separation an electronic copy of the member's service treatment record at the time of separation.

What's happening now April 9, 2014

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1