H.R. 975: Servicemember Mental Health Review Act

Introduced:
Mar 05, 2013 (113th Congress, 2013–2015)
Sponsor:
Rep. Timothy Walz [D-MN1]
Status:
Referred to Committee
See Instead:

S. 628 (same title)
Referred to Committee — Mar 20, 2013

The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. H.R. stands for House of Representatives bill.

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Status

This bill was assigned to a congressional committee on March 5, 2013, which will consider it before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate as a whole.

Progress
Introduced Mar 05, 2013
Referred to Committee Mar 05, 2013
Reported by Committee ...
Passed House ...
Passed Senate ...
Signed by the President ...
Prognosis

1% chance of getting past committee.
0% chance of being enacted.

Only 11% of House bills made it past committee and only 3% were enacted in 2011–2013. [show factors | methodology]

Cosponsors
30 cosponsors (25D, 5R) (show)
Committees

House Armed Services

↪ Military Personnel

The committee chair determines whether a bill will move past the committee stage.

Full Title

To amend title 10, United States Code, to extend the duration of the Physical Disability Board of Review and to the expand the authority of such Board to review of the separation of members of the Armed Forces on the basis of a mental condition not amounting to disability, including separation on the basis of a personality or adjustment disorder.

Summary

No summaries available.

Text

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Last updated Mar 05, 2013.
11 pages

Primary Source

View on THOMAS (The Library of Congress)

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Citation

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GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

3/5/2013--Introduced.
Servicemember Mental Health Review Act - Extends through 2014 (under current law, through 2009) the authority of the Physical Disability Board of Review (Board) to review the disability determinations of individuals who, since September 11, 2001, are separated from the Armed Forces due to unfitness for duty because of a mental condition with a disability rating of 20% or less and are found to be ineligible for retirement.
Adds to those eligible for such review individuals who, before December 31, 2014, are separated due to unfitness because of a mental condition not amounting to disability, including separation based on a personality or adjustment disorder.
Requires the Board to:
(1) review, upon request, the findings and decisions of the appropriate physical evaluation board with respect to such latter individuals; and
(2) include as Board members at least one licensed psychologist and one licensed psychiatrist who have had no fiduciary relationship to the Department of Defense (DOD) since December 31, 2001.
Allows the Board to review disability determinations of non-requesting individuals, after obtaining their consent.
Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to correct the military records of individuals in accordance with Board recommendations, unless such Secretary finds that the Board has made a clearly erroneous recommendation.
Requires the Secretary of Defense to ensure that eligible individuals receive notification of their right to a separation review by the Board, including the right to obtain counsel.

House Republican Conference Summary

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No summary available.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:

United States Code

The United States Code is the compilation of permanent laws enacted by Congress. Temporary and other non-permanent laws do not appear in the United States Code. (About half of the United States Code is the law itself, called positive law. The other half is merely a compilation of the laws but has no legal significance.)